| As Global
Fake Pharma Fentanyl Scheme
Indicted Questions About
Dismissal and Pleas
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Oct 8 – A global counterfeit
deadly pharmaceuticals ring
was indicted on September 30
and US Attorney for the
Southern District of New York
Damian Williams held a press
conference.
Inner City Press, which
closely covers SDNY and it
Magistrates Court, went and
asked a related case of one of
the cited pill mills in The
Bronx, two of the four
defendants in which were
allowed to plead guilty on
September 24. That case is US
v. Espinal, et al., 23-cr-577
(LJL).
Whether
the two escaped the "causing
death" change, and why,
remains unclear.
Later on September 30 named
co-defendant Alba Gonzalez
appeared in SDNY Mag Court.
The prosecutors asked for
detention but the defense said
she is named only as receiving
an email.
The judge ordered
release on $300,000 bond with
conditions; the AUSA did not
ask for a stay to appeal to
District Judge John P. Cronan.
On October
2 the US Attorney's Office
wrote to four judges to
consolidate their cases,
noting - but not explaining -
why the two were allowed to
plead just before the
superseding indictment. Also
specified was that Christian
Rosado Garcia "who fled the US
immediately prior to an
expected guilty plea in
24-cr-13 (LGS). Inner City
Press will continue to cover
the case(s).
On October 8
Judge Cronan held a
proceeding, and Inner City
Press covered it, thread:
Here in the
courtroom are 7 defendants,
the 5 in detention each with 2
US Marshals. They are in the
jury box with Spanish language
interpretation headphones on.
Judge: You are charged with
distribution of fentanyl,
isomers and salt of isomers,
resulting in death
AUSA: We took
down the websites with seizure
warrants but we have preserved
them and will produce as
discovery, as well as
information of Victim-1 and
other decedents
Judge: A
discovery coordinator could be
useful. Defense: We'll
need the discovery in the
detention facilities
[MDC-Brooklyn, Essex and
seemingly Hudson County
Correctional Facility]. Judge:
Next is Jan 9, I'll set a
trial date then
At the
end, a defense lawyer asked
why the other cases aren't
dismissed. The AUSA said they
are still thinking how to
proceed and would rather that
the judges decide. But what
about the two allowed to plead
guilty just before the
superseding indictment?
More / extra on
Substack here
It is (now)
US v. Paulino, et al.,
23-cr-501 (Cronan)
***
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