| Man Who Used
Bitcoin to Steal iPhones Got COVID in MCC
But US Say He Is Over It
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 18 – Joel Pena pled guilty
to identity theft in a
conspiracy involving buying
personal identifying
information over the Dark Web
with Bitcoin then using the
information get get iPhones
and resell them in The
Bronx. He was
sentenced to 24 months in
prison.
He contracted
COVID-19 is and asking U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Ronny Abrams to grant
him compassionate
release.
In a letter
filed on Christmas Eve, Pena's
once and again CJA lawyer
William J. Stampur tells Judge
Abrams that "two weeks ago,
Mr. Pena tested positive for
COVID-19... he was removed
from his unit to a 'quarantine
unit' with other inmates who
supposedly were infected. On
December 21, the last time
counsel had the opportunity to
talk with Mr. Pena, he was
once again in quarantine in
another 'quarantine unit'
without a functioning
toilet."
On January
18, more than three weeks
later, the US Attorney's
Office replied that "while
defendant tested positive for
COVID-19 in early December, he
did not experience any
symptoms and tested negative
on or about December 18, 2020,
prior to the filing of the
Motion."
They also
quote Pena, when arrested,
asking "Who give me up?
Bitc*es can't do their time."
The case is
US v. Pena, 18-cr-640 (Abrams)
***
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