24 in
Upper
Manhattan Drug
Case Getting
Huge Video Now
Alvarado Asks
for 5 Year
Minimum
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Dec 2 – Christopher Santos and
more than a dozen others have
been indicted for a narcotics
conspiracy in Upper Manhattan.
On
September 15, 2023
co-defendant Mercedes appeared
with only his lawyer before
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Gregory H. Woods.Inner
City Press was there.
Mercedes
had missed a September 6 mass
proceeding at which a schedule
had been set, with Speedy
Trial Act time excluded
through December 12,
2023.
The initial
complain describes drug sales
in front of 2304 Amsterdam
Avenue, near 174th Street.
Jump cut to
February 6, 2024, when Judge
Woods courtroom was full, with
some defendants out on bond in
the gallery, with lawyers, and
others defendants in the jury
box. One defense lawyer got a
big laugh when he pointed to
his client, the foreman in
that good lucking jury.
At the
defense's request, the case
was put over into June. There
is a new NYPD / TARU video, 5
terabytes, that can barely be
seen on the computers in the
MDC. Expect severance - and,
the prosecutors said, plea
bargains.
On July 19,
co-defendant Jawan Mills pled
guilty to Count 1, with
sentencing set for October 16
at 10 am. He was not included
in the superceding indictment
filed on July 18.
On July 30
co-defendant David Glover pled
guilty and was ordered
immediately remanded, with
sentencing set for November 25
at 11 am.
On July 31
co-defendant Christopher
Espinal pled guilty with
sentencing set for November 22
at 3 pm; detention was
continued.
On August 14,
counsel for co-defendant
Caminero wrote in and asking
for 35 months on August 28.
On August 16, the
lead defendant came in, not in
custody, to be arraigned on
the S6 indictment, pleading
not guilty in the run up to
the trial now set for November
4.
On August 21, on
Caminero the US Attorney's
Office wrote in and asked for
70 months, noting "his
attempts to intimidate a
witness through social media
posts."
On August 28,
Caminero got 60 months.
Jump cut to
October 31, 2024, when
co-defendant Juan Checo pled
guilty, in the Magistrates
Court, before Magistrate Judge
Barbara C. Moses. Inner City
Press was there. He said he's
39, GED and a semester of
college. The indictment says
his a/k/a is Pickle. The
sentencing date is said to be
February 18, 2025.
On November 7
co-Defendant Espinal's lawyer
wrote in asking for 60 months
on November 22, saying that
"like Rasholnikov... Espinal
is ready to justice work on
changing him."
On November 22,
Espinal was sentenced to 90
months.
On December 2
counsel to co-defendant
Alvarado wrote in asking for
the 5 year minimum on December
16.
The case is US v.
Santos, et al., 22-cr-522
(Woods)
***
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