In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - The Source

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 28 – Brooklyn rapper Dajahn McBean, also known as Jeezy Mula, now has a "change of plea" proceeding scheduled for January 22. That means pleading guilty, changing the plea from not guilty to guilty. Document on Patreon here.

   Inner City Press will aim to cover and live tweet the plea and subsequent proceeding.

Earlier, McBean seemed to have supporters in Garden City.

 A document was Fed-Exed from there with a forged or satire court order that he should be released, it emerged on July 29 in a proceeding that Inner City Press covered, apparently exclusively.
  
  McBean has two cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, before SDNY Judge Katherine Polk Failla and Second Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan, as well as an EDNY case on which he has yet to be presented.

 On July 29 Judge Failla held a proceeding; Inner City Press covered it. After a routine interchange setting a briefing schedule of September 11 and 25 and October 2, Judge Failla announced that a false filing had been made.

  She said a Federal Express package had arrived with a false signature of Judge Sullivan, saying that McBean was now a "supervisee." She said Judge Sullivan is "not amused," and asked McBean's lawyer Steven Gary Brill if he knew anything about it.

  No, Brill said. AUSA Andrew Chan said he had been made aware of it by Judge Sullivan's chambers.

   Judge Failla noted that McBean was laughing - Inner City Press could not see, since the CourtCall platform only has video for participants.

 On October 13, the next proceeding was scheduled. But on that very day, the US Attorney's Office wrote in to postpone it to October 30, "because of the defendant's move to another facility." Judge Failla granted it. Inner City Press said it would continue to cover the case - and it has.

 On October 30 at 9 am, Judge Failla held a CourtCall proceeding with McBean. She took an interest in how he will be able to review discovery in the MCC. McBean said he's seen a computer that takes CDs, but no USB. Judge Failla asked that the discovery by taken to his unit and not to the closed library.

She said it has become a pet project for her, prisoners' access to discovery in the MCC and MDC. (She is also handling issues in the civil case of Casiano in Auburn, which Inner City Press is also covering). The trial's set for April.

  Later on October 30 Judge Failla held a proceeding for co-defendant William Valdez to change lawyers, if not go pro so. The change of counsel was approved. And so it goes.

  Back in a June 26 video court appearance McBean resisted the mention of William Valdez and did not want the charges against him to be read out loud.

  The proceeding was held by Judge Richard J. Sullivan, now on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals but still handling a number of other cases still on his docket covered by Inner City Press, which covers this one too, live tweeted:

Judge Sullivan: Mr. McBean appeared before me and denied the violations, and asked for a stay pending resolution of the state charges. I heard he pled guilty to assault and is awaiting sentencing.

McBean: Excuse me your honor, if I already talked about the charges with my lawyer, do you have to read them?

Judge Sullivan: I want to make a record. You interacted with William Valdez. Do you admit or deny that allegation?

McBean: I deny.

 Judge Sullivan: There's also conspiracy to commit bank fraud. This is also before Judge Failla. McBean: I deny. Judge Sullivan: Also aggravated identity theft. McBean: Also denied.

Judge Sullivan: I'll ask for periodic updates, every 30 days or so. Any questions Mr. McBean?

McBean: No your Honor.

 Judge Sullivan: Hopefully this COVID thing will work itself out and we'll be back in court in person soon.

This case is US v. McBean, 17-cr-216 (Sullivan).

On May 8 McBean was late for a video proceeding before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Katharine Polk Failla.

 And McBean wasn't late by choice. He is in Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, and the video connection was late.

  When he got on, he pleaded not guilty to bank fraud charged in a case filed in 2020, but which dates back to allegations in 2018 and early 2019.

  Assistant US Attorney Andrew Chan told Judge Failla that of four smartphone seized in January 2019, law enforcement has only been able to crack one of them.

Still, both McBean and his co-defendant William Valdez are purchasing 1-terabyte hard drive have the discovery material burned onto them.

   Judge Failla said she will inform Judge Richard J. Sullivan, now on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals but who is still handling a McBean case and a number of other cases still on his docket covered by Inner City Press, of the day's proceedings. That case is 20-cr-226, US v. McBean (Failla). 

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA

Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2020 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com