| In SDNY Gonzalez Pled To
Crack But Not Gang As AUSA Says Deal With That
At Sentencing
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
Honduras
- The
Source - The
Root - etc
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 19 – Defendant after
co-defendant on December 5,
2019 charged with drugs and
guns under the same
just-unsealed indictment were
presented and either detained
or offered conditional of bail
in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Magistrates Court before
Magistrate Judge Barbara
Moses.
Inner City
Press, the only media in the
Magistrates Court for these,
has covered the case since.
On December
5, 2019 there
was Michael
Gonzalez,
a/k/a Wisdom,
who cited his
union job at
36 Madison
Avenue and a
case of
mistaken
identity with
a Miguel in
Rye, New York.
SDNY
Magistrate
Judge Barbara
Moses said the
presumption
against him
was not
rebutted. He
was detained.
Now
on January 19, 2020, Michael
Gonzalez came to plead guilty
before Judge Caproni. Inner
City Press covered it.
Gonzalez
disputed that his crack with
in connection with the
underlying gang. The AUSA said
that will be an issue at
sentencing. Judge Caproni said
there could be a hearing on
that. There was discussion of
holding these proceedings by
video, and of the in person
trial held before Judge P.
Kevin Castel in October, which
Inner City Press also covered.
Judge
Caproni said that the Court's
epidemiologist opines that the
new strain of COVID may
require more spacing in the
re-configured courtrooms. The
plea was accepted; the
sentencing is set for May.
This case
is US
v. Velez, et
al.,
19-cr-862
(Caproni).
Earlier in
the case: on December 10, 2019
a defendant offered conditions
of release by Magistrate Judge
Moses was ordered detained by
District Judge Valerie E.
Caproni. Luis Sepulveda was
said to work for Sewer Heroes
in Westchester County, the
boss of which came to Judge
Caproni's temporary courtroom
15C on December 10.
The
government emphasized his role
in slashings. Judge Caproni
first asked how his role was
possible, given his work
hours. Later she said if
released, he could be at a
sewer job but speaking with
"Tony Pots and Pans" and
planning crimes. She ordered
him detained, with the proviso
that if information comes out
in discovery a new application
can always be made.
Christopher Lum, also seeming
to have been released, was
still detained, his parents in
the jam packed gallery of
Courtroom 15C. Four
defendants, including the lead
defendant Carmelo Velez
represented by Federal
Defender Philip Weinstein,
asked to be sent to the MCC
and MDC, said to have no
space, from Valhalla.
For all
defendants, but for the two
still at large, are set for a
status conference on May 14,
with objections due to
groupings of eight for
purposes of trial due before
then. Inner City Press will
continue to follow this case.
Back on
December 6 Hector Bonaparte
was presented a day after
co-defendants. It's that he
couldn't be found because he
lives in a homeless shelter.
This was used against him.
Because no electronic monitors
could be anchored to a home,
his lawyer was advised to
withdraw his oral application
for release on bond. The
lawyer did. So in any
statistics, this will show up
as "detained on consent." But
his lawyer was seeking bail,
and the argument had started.
Inner City Press will remain
on this.
Judge Moses said
she did not credit the
prosecutions proffer of gang
membership, so neither will
Inner City Press in this
report. We'll call it a
Group.
There was
Christopher Lum, described as
the Group's bookkeeper in
Queens. The Assistant US
Attorney's called him a risk
of flight to Korea because he
was born there. But he hasn't
been there since he was six
months old. He was offered
release on bond, to be secured
by his equity interest in an
apartment he leaves empty in
Queens (Judge Moses called it
a wasting asset).
#Bailed.
There was Luis
Sepulveda a/k/a Red, with red
hair, described by the
government as the second crown
overall. He was offered bail,
but on delay so the US
Attorneys can appeal the
decision to the Part I judge
if they choose. #Bailed, on
delay.
Next came three
co-defendants who all
consented to detention:
Christopher Nelson a/k/a Hype,
Josiah Velasquez a/k/a Siah
and Christopher Rodriguez
a/k/a Taz. It seems they were
lumped together for
presentment because they would
consent to detention, pending
the next appearance on
December 10.
As the
final Mag Court cases of the
day, there was Emmanuel Bonafe
a/k/a Eazy and lead defendant
Carmelo Velez, a/k/a Jugg.
Both were ordered detained by
Judge Moses. The lead
defendant got the Federal
Defender, which seems to be a
trend. Inner City Press will
have more on this.
This case is US
v. Velez et al., 19-cr-862
(Caproni).
***
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