| In DEA
Corruption Case of Costanzo & Recio On
Conflict US Seeks Attorney
Disqualification
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
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BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
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NY
Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 27 – On May 20 DOJ
announced that "JOHN COSTANZO
JR., a Drug Enforcement
Administration Special Agent,
and MANUEL RECIO, a former DEA
Assistant Special
Agent-in-Charge, were indicted
in Manhattan federal court
with conspiracy to bribe a
public official, conspiracy to
commit honest services wire
fraud, and honest services
wire fraud, for a scheme in
which RECIO funneled tens of
thousands of dollars to
COSTANZO in exchange for
COSTANZO providing sensitive
law enforcement information to
RECIO to assist RECIO in
recruiting clients for defense
lawyers."
Costanzo appeared
the in the 2022 U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York
Magistrates Court that day and
was released on $30,000 bond.
His case was assigned to
District Judge J. Paul Oekten,
who held a conference in the
case on June 6. Inner City
Press attended and live
tweeted:
Recio, it seems,
needs a Curcio hearing of
potential conflict of
interest.
Judge Oetken: Any
search warrant? AUSA: Yes. And
a wire tap. AUSA: For Mr
Costanzo there's an audio
recording. [When will the
Press and public get a
copy?]
Judge: Any
superseder of additional
defendants?
AUSA: It's
on the table.
Mukasey: So are
motions against the searches,
under the 4th Amendment.
Mukasey: We'll be
asking for the earliest trial
date possible. But not yet.
Judge: Motions then a
conference Nov 4 at 11 am,
Speedy Trial Act excluded
until then. AUSA:
Recio's lawyer may have a
conflict - he's a potential
witness.
Recio's lawyer
worked for him in Miami,
referred by a firm which paid
Recio. But he says he didn't
sit at counsel table.
AUSA: If there's a plea, the
conflict would be moot.
US letter
alleging conflict on Patreon here.
Later, this
summary: "Minute Entry for
proceedings held before Judge
J. Paul Oetken: Pretrial
Conference as to John
Costanzo, Jr., Manuel Recio
held on 6/6/2022. Defendant
John Costanzo present with
attorneys Marc Mukasey and
Torrey Young; Defendant Manuel
Recio present with attorney
Phillip Reizenstein; AUSA
Sebastian Swett present; Court
Reporter present. Initial
conference held: Motions due
by 9/9/2022 with responses by
10/7/2022 and replies by
10/21/2022. Next conference
set for 11/4/2022 at 11:00am.
Time is excluded to 11/4/2022.
Bail continued."
On June 27 the US
Attorney's Office formally
sought the disqualification of
Philip Reisenstein, affirming
they spoke with him on June 22
and told him he would likely
be a witness at trial,
necessitating his withdrawal.
"Rezenstein informed the
Government that he would not
be withdrawing his
representation and the
Government could move to
disqualify him." Watch this
site.
The case is US v.
Costanzo, 22-cr-281
(Oetken)
***
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