| Among 16
Charged With Hobbs Act Robbery & Drugs
Last Defendant Is Detained for Trial
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Nov 18 – More than a
dozen defendants were charged
in a Hobbs Act robbery and
narcotics
conspiracy.
On June 14, 2021 U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York Judge
Alvin K. Hellerstein held a
proceeding. Inner City Press
covered it.
With so
many defendants and counsel,
the roll-call took a long
time. It emerged that Levalle
Maitland, in pre-trial
detention in the Essex County
Correctional Facility, had not
been produced, and his lawyer
said he couldn't reach him. It
was decided to go
forward.
Three trial
dates were selected, splitting
the group or conspiracy in
two: March 28, 2022 for some,
May 16 for others, and June 20
for still others.
On January 5,
2022 Judge Hellerstein heard
oral argument on possibly
releasing co-defendant
Nathaniel Croskey on bond. But
Judge Hellerstein pointed out,
as the AUSA did, that Croskey
had fired a gun 10 times in
the air; he said that the
danger could not be addressed
even by GPS monitoring.
On March
10 Judge Hellerstein accepted
Croskey's guilty plea. And
later on March 10 - past six
pm, with Inner City Press the
only media in the Magistrates
Court - another co-defendant
in the case was brought in.
His lawyer consented to
detention, "without
prejudice."
On April 3, 2023,
lead defendant Spearman asked
for the 10 year minimum
sentence. His detailed
sentencing memo quotes his
partner that "his legs look
like elephant legs." A
co-defendant was acquitted
after trial...
On May 10,
co-defendant Tristan Oliver
was up for sentencing. Inner
City Press was there. Judge
Hellerstein sentenced him to
24 months, then asked when
he'd like to self-surrender.
After June 6, when his baby is
due. Judge Hellerstein set the
date for July 11 and wished
Oliver well.
On September 21,
2023, Judge Hellerstein
sentenced lead defendant
Kenneth Spearman to ten years.
On November 18,
defendant Francis whom Judge
Hellerstein called the last
remaining in the case, was
brought into court. He had
been presented from his
hospital bed on November 15.
Judge Hellerstein asked if the
Claxton transcript could be
given to Francis' CJA, and set
a next conference for January
22, 2025.
The overall case
is US v. Spearman, et al.,
20-cr-631 (Hellerstein)
***
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