| Among 16
Bronxites Indicted in Valentine Ave Drug
Case One Appeals Detention But Loses
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 15– Angel
Villafane, previously
convicted of a felony, was
arrested for having a gun in
incidents starting at 97th
Street and Second Avenue then
110th Street and the FDR (long
barrel firearm)
On May 20,
2022 U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Victor
Marrero held a conference.
Inner City Press covered it,
the only media there.
Jump cut to March
6, 2024 - now it was grown to
a 16 defendant indictment: "As
alleged, day in and day out,
this crew distributed
fentanyl, heroin, and crack
along several blocks on
Valentine Avenue."
Inner City Press
went to arraignments including
that of Christopher Meadows,
who the prosecutor described
as an enforcer for the lead
named defendant (who was
detained on consent).
Based on
medical conditions named in
court but which Inner City
Press will voluntarily not
report, he was ordered bailed
on $50,000 bond to his
mother's residence in
Soundview by Magistrate Judge
Valerie Figueredo. On the day
of appeal, the US agreed to
release.
On March 15,
another co-defendant had a
bail hearing before Magistrate
Judge Stewart D. Aaron. Inner
City Press was there, here
OK - now at bail
hearing in Bronx Valentine Ave
16 case - 10 supporters of
detained defendant here.
Defense: My client could move
out of The Bronx, to his
mother's on Staten Island, or
to a suretor's in Orange
County. He's charged with
aiding & abetting the use
or brandishing of a firearm in
connection with narcotics
sales
AUSA: We are
appealing one order to
release: we agreed to release
Meadows ["The Enforcer," Inner
City Press live tweeted that
too]. Defense: My client
manages a musician, sells
clothing at clubs. He used to
be a porter at Tracy Towers
[in The Bronx]
AUSA: He
possessed a loaded weapon, and
sold fentanyl. He faces 360
months to life in prison. Four
cooperating witnesses will
testify against him, one of
them a rival. Another will
testify to selling him a gun.
AUSA: He
was arrested with a gun and
hollow point bullets, in a
bedroom shared with a two year
old autistic child. He is a
clear and present danger to
the community
Judge: I'm
focusing on danger to the
community. A gun was found at
your residence. I'm ordering
detention.
The case is US v.
Villafane, et al., 21-cr-93
(Marrero)
***
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