| Venezuelan in Migrant Hotel
Charged with Robbery of Pokemon
Stores Detained 1 Week
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Jan 28 – A man from
Venezuela living in a migrant
hotel was Federally changed in
connection with the armed
robbery of a Pokemon card
store - and asked to be
released on bond on January
22. Inner City Press was there
and live tweeted, here:
AUSA Ariana
Bloom: He was arrested on
unreleased state charges two
days ago. Federal Defender:
Detention is entirely
unwarranted. He has an asylum
application. He lives with her
in a government shelter
specifically for migrants, on
the West Side.
Federal Defender:
He has no interest in fleeing
- it would entirely undermine
his asylum application. Judge:
Doesn't engaging in violence
undermine his claim? FD: He
did NOT engage in violence.
Judge: What about the state
charge? FD: A fight with a
friend
Federal
Defender: He sells used items
on the street. A man bought
things, then said he'd pay him
to drive people somewhere. He
had no idea what they would
do... They hit him in the
head, he was the victim of
violence
Federal
Defender: He wanted nothing to
do with the robbery. He told
the police what happened. It's
in the Complaint but it's
different. I'd like to hear
the recording. He had no mens
rea. If it he did, his role is
minor
Federal Defender:
He grew up in Venezuela
without schooling. He's been
in the migrant shelter for a
year. He can come and go as he
pleases. He spends his day on
the street selling used items.
He makes roughly $2400 a
month. We order a $25,000
[unsecured] bond
Federal
Defender: To the extent there
are photos on his phone of
masked armed men, it's that he
was threatened by them. Judge:
Isn't there a presumption for
a Hobbs Act robbery
conspiracy? FD: There is no
924(c) count. So, no. AUSA:
They promised him gifts
AUSA: He
drove them a second time,
after having seen the first
time guns, and bags packed
with stolen goods. In the
Mirandized interview he says
he did it again because what
he got was pretty good. His
cell phone has the location of
the 2d robbery
AUSA: If he were
released, it's not clear there
is not an ICE detainer out for
him. The Pokemon cards
stolen here are for their
resale value. She says he
sells things on the street.
Judge: Were you going to agree
to release? AUSA: I called my
supervisor
Judge:
Recess
Judge is back.
Judge: You may be seated. I
have re-reviewed the
complaint. It suggests that
during the first, Queens
robbery he knew they were
dressed like robbers and had 3
guns - he drove them there and
back and was given things of
value
Judge: The
second time, the Manhattan
robbery, he agreed to go it
for something of value. He
understood that a violent
robbery was going to take
place. You say he was the
victim - but that was after
the robbery. This is
troubling. He has an incentive
to flee
Judge: I don't
think anyone in this courtroom
knows what will happen to
asylum applications from
Venezuela. A GPS bracelet is
not sufficient. I am going to
order him detained. Federal
Defender: They framed it in
the complaint. His children
are in school
Judge: If after
you've seen the evidence, if
you fashion another proposal,
submit it to me. Federal
Defender: I'm not entitled to
Rule 16 discovery until he is
indicted - will you order some
discovery of the post-arrest
statement?
AUSA: I'll turn
it over tomorrow 5:45 PM · Jan
22, 2026 · 2,027 Views View
post engagements
[Defendant
is crying at defense table,
deputy approaches with cup of
water]
The only
thing to add is that before
the proceeding began, AUSA
Bloom was out in the hallway.
When she came in, she
whispered to the AUSA. Later
she said that after the
recommendation of pre-trial
was seen, she called her
supervisor and they decided to
ask for detention (they were
not going to, apparently,
before).
From January 22
to 28, the docket number was
not available - the case was
not in PACER. And then it was:
with the complaint naming the
Manhattan Pokemon store as 412
West 13th Street, and that
they stole $115,000 of Pokemon
merchandise.
The case is USA
v. Colina, 26-mj-179
(Netburn).
***
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