| As Unlicensed Tow
Truck Owner Charged With
Racketeering Murder US Will Not
Seek Death
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Nov 6 – There is more to the
battle between unlicensed tow
truck companies in the South
Bronx than was first announced
by prosecutors. On October 22
they charged "CHRISTIAN LUGO
with a leadership role in a
racketeering conspiracy that
used fraud and violent
intimidation to run a tow
truck and auto repair shop
known as Certified Auto.
On February 7, 2022, LUGO
ordered a co-conspirator who
worked for him at Certified
Auto to shoot at members of a
rival tow truck company, which
resulted in the death of
Gloria Ortiz."
Inner City
Press attended the
presentment, then on October
25 the arraignment before U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Dale E. Ho. There were
family members and supporters
of the defendant there, but no
other media. Inner City Press
live
tweeted:
All rise! Judge
Ho: How do you plead? Lugo:
Not guilty.
AUSA: They
dominated the unlicensed tow
truck business in the South
Bronx, Bruckner Expressway
area racketeering, then
engaged in a shooting with a
rival resulting in death [Echo
of fire-chaser trial here, of
Jatiek Smith] AUSA: After the
murder the defendant fled to
Florida and his tow truck
company was renamed.
Judge Ho: Any superseding
indictment?
AUSA: We
found a bullet, we may add a
felon in possession of
ammunition charged, he has a
previous conviction in EDNY.
Judge Ho: At the very end of
February I have a conflict -
so, Feb 24. This case is death
penalty eligible - I received
a letter from Federal
Defenders today. AUSA: The
decision on seeking death is
in DC, should be made by early
November
Judge Ho: I
will put the Federal Defender
letter on the docket [Doesn't
do that in all cases, for
example unsealing request in
Russian oligarch's yacht
seizure case.]
Judge Ho
has invited or schedule a bail
application. In Magistrates
Court, bail was denied.
On November 6,
"the Government wr[ote] to
inform the Court that the
Government will not seek the
death penalty against
defendant Christian Lugo in
this matter."
The more was that
two unlicensed companies have
carved up the Bruckner
Expressway into turf - beyond
the shooting, what about the
car crash (or break down)
victims?
This case is USA
v. Lugo, 1:24-cr-606 (Ho)
***
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