| For
Two Bronx Molotov Cocktails Man From
Bangladesh Detained Amid Mendez Sealed
Plea
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
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BBC-Guardian
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SDNY COURTROOM
EXCLUSIVE, Jan 25 - In
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York on August 4, a detention
or release proceeding was held
by Magistrate Judge Katharine
H. Parker on a defendant
charged with throwing a
Molotov cocktail onto the
front porch of a house in The
Bronx, and of being the driver
for a co-defendant who threw a
Molotov cocktail at a car.
The
house-bomber, with a Federal
Defender, was released on
$15,000 bond. The car-bomber,
with the day's Criminal
Justice Act counsel, didn't
even ask for a bail hearing.
At the end he was led out
asking, "So I'm staying in
jail?" His significant other
in the gallery, where Inner
City Press was the only media
as on the July 29 Azerbaijan
AK-47 stalker of an Iranian
dissident (story here,
credited here).
On
September 1, District Judge
John P. Cronan held
arraignments and a status
conference. Inner City Press
went and live tweeted it here:
Now at
arraignment of Molotov
cocktail duo, both sitting in
jury box with US Marshals.
Judge Cronan mentions a
Chowdhry civil case he has,
bandwidth sale.
Co-defendant
Mendez, incarcerated from Day
1, doesn't look happy. COVID
mask not covering nose. Pleads
not guilty as well.
Ukraine
Molotovs cited again. One
placed under a dark Acura in
The Bronx on June 6,
2022. 2 supporters, on
info and belief Bangladeshi or
South Asian, enter. Mendez'
significant other not here.
AUSA Amanda
Weingarten cites huge video
tracking the duo all over The
Bronx. Federal Defender says
Chowdhry phone has exculpatory
info on it. AUSA says it was
never seized.
Defendant
exchanging glances. Both in
prison beige. Next is Nov 2,
9:30 am. Adjourned.
Back on August
24, the defendant who was
released on conditions
including drug treatment was
back for a bail revocation,
which it barely avoided. Inner
City Press was present and
live tweeted here.
Here is the blow
by blow of the arson duo's
first proceeding, here.
On January 19,
2023, it was docketed that
Mendez intends to plead guilty
on January 25: "NOTICE OF
HEARING as to David Mendez:
The change of plea hearing for
David Mendez is scheduled for
January 25, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
in Courtroom 12D of 500 Pearl
Street, New York, NY 10007.
**Change of Plea Hearing set
for 1/25/2023 at 03:30 PM
before Judge John P. Cronan."
Inner City Press
went to the guilty plea on
January 25. Mendez pleaded
guilty, and the US Attorney's
Office unveiled an agreement
to release him from detention
to Odyssey House and postpone
sentencing until October 31,
2023.
Then they asked
for the transcript and even
superceder to be sealed,
because it seemed Mendez might
cooperate if Chowdhury goes to
trial in August. But the plea,
and all that was said, was in
open court. Judge Cronan asked
for a status report in 60 days
if it needs to be kept sealed.
The case is US v.
Chowdhury, et al., 22-cr-464
(Cronan)
***
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