| Man
Gets 20 Months
for Bank Fraud
in SDNY now
Cooperator in
Texas Money
Launder Trial
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
book
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Feb 22 – A man pleaded guilty
to bank fraud on January 11 in
federal court in Manhattan,
with a plea deal of 24 to 30
months.
But it emerged
that he has a cooperation deal
in a separate money laundering
case in the Western District
of Texas.
He wants
to be sentenced quickly in New
York, on February 22.
Then the U.S.
Marshals would transport him
to Texas to be prepped for
trial. Defense counsel asked
for the January 11 court
transcript to be sealed, but
Inner City Press was present
and reports. It will
voluntarily leave out certain
details.
The
defendant's name is Olufemi
Nathaniel Itiowe. He appeared
on January 11 with two
Marshals and a unique
hairstyle. U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of
New York Judge John G. Koeltl,
in the four-defendant SDNY
case, held the sentencing.
It was
proceeding normally - the plea
deal is for 24 to 30 months,
the defendant allocuted to
ordering check books for
accounts not his own - when
the issue of sentencing date
came up.
Defense
counsel said, let's seal the
transcript, he is a cooperator
in Texas and the Marshals take
too long to transport him back
and forth.
(On
information and belief this is
because transport is through
Oklahoma, which some call
diesel therapy).
Defense
counsel said the prosecutors
in the WDTX want to prep his
client in late March.
A cursory search
finds a case in that district
against him, 21-cr-224.
On February 22,
Inner City Press followed up
and went to the sentencing.
Defense counsel was saying
that identifying his client as
a cooperator in Texas was
unfortunate - then stopped.
Inner City
Press' presence was noted.
When asked, identification was
offered: I am a reporter.
The
lawyers, then the defendant,
went forward to speak at the
sidebar with the white noise
turned out loud. When they
returned, the defense lawyer
wouldn't even say what
sentence he was asking for.
The prosecutor said the
guideline was 21 to 27 months
- different from the 24 to 30
month in the plea agreement
read out in January. Judge
Koeltl imposed a sentence of
20 months, very close to time
served. Defense counsel said
he will check into the
transfer to Texas to testify
and "put something on the
docket." Watch this site.
The SDNY
case is US v. Coombs, et al.,
21-cr-336 (Koeltl)
***
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