| For
$237 Million
of Counterfeit
Goods Jalloh
Got January
2025 Trial now
Guilty Plea
Jan 2
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Dec 20 – Adama Sow and
Abdulai Jalloh were arrested
on November 15 and charged
with trafficking in
counterfeit goods.
They were
presented in the U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York
Magistrates Court and released
on $1 million and $500,000
bond respectively. Inner City
Press was there, the only
media in the SDNY Mag
Court.
Magistrate
Judge Robert W. Lehrburger
asked why the bond was so high
and was told of multiple
storage units full of
counterfeit goods.
Ms. Sow declined
to sign a financial affidavit;
Federal Defenders represented
her only for presentment.
Reference was made to a
passport from Guinea, which
Sow visited for three weeks in
the past year.
Mr. Jalloh
was the last case of the day.
A Fulani interpreter was
brought in. The AUSA added
that the goods in the related
cases are worth $237 million.
But there are not photographs
in the two indictments.
It being
5:30 pm, Jalloh will have to
return to SDNY on November 16
for installation of his GPS
location monitoring bracelet.
Jump cut to
November 29, when Jalloh was
arraigned before Judge Paul A.
Crotty. He pleaded not guilty,
and a next conference of
January 16 at noon was set.
On January 11
Judge Crotty asked for an
update. On January 15, MLK
Day, the US Attorney's Office
wrote in that Jalloh's counsel
"is unwilling to accept
electronic discovery...
Hard-copy discovery has not
been produced in this District
in many years."
On January 23,
Judge Crotty confirmed this -
and that Jalloh's counsel says
he doesn't ever uses a
computer (!) - "Defendant's
attorney, Mr. Siegert, objects
to the manner of the
Government's production,
claiming that he has "never
used a computer and [does not]
know how to." ECF No. 16, at
1. The Defense avers that
because the Government has not
produced hard copies, "no
discovery has been provided,"
id. at 1, and requests the
Court to Order analog
discovery pursuant to Federal
Rule of Criminal Procedure
16(d), id. at 3. For the
following reasons, Defendant's
request is DENIED."
On June 14, Judge
Jessica G. L. Clarke to whom
Jallow's case has been
reassigned set a 2025 trial
date: "SCHEDULING ORDER as to
Abdulai Jalloh: As ORDERED at
the status conference held on
May 30, 2024, Defendant's
motion(s), if any, shall be
filed by July 8, 2024. The
Government's response shall be
filed by August 5, 2024.
Defendant's reply shall be
filed by August 19, 2024.
Trial in this case is
scheduled for January 27,
2025."
On December 11,
2024 the US Attorney's
Office's request for a bond
hearing - they say Jallow has
not put forward any co-signers
- was granted and the hearing
set for December 16 at 3 pm
before Judge Jessica G.L.
Clarke.
On December 20,
the US Attorney's Office wrote
in to say Jalloh is scheduled
to plead guilty on January 2,
2025.
Meanwhile Adama
Sow's case was reassigned to
Judge Valerie E. Caproni; Sow
pled guilty. In July 2024
Sow's lawyer asked for a
non-incarceratory sentence,
with redactions.
But on July 31,
Ms. Sow said she wanted to
change lawyers, on the issue
of loss amount. Judge Caproni
said this would be the only
change of counsel and asked if
it was being done in order to
withdraw the guilty plea.
Ms. Sow replied,
Not necessarily.
That decision is
due, from new counsel, by
September 20, and if not, any
request for a Fatico hearing
by September 17. Sentencing
has conditionally be re-set
for October 17 at 3:30 pm.
On September 27,
Sow's new lawyer wrote in that
a Fatico hearing will be
needed, on "the degree of
control she exercised over the
storage units," etc.
The cases are US
v. Sow, 23-cr-593 (Caproni)
and US v. Jalloh, 23-cr-592
(Clarke)
***
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