OK- now presentment of Valenzuela: US says he stole more than $800,000 worth of jewelry in the #Bronx while armed with a firearm, bear spray, and hammers. Inner City Press is the only media in the Mag court, thread below
AUSA: Six masked robbers went in. They got away on mopeds. He is on video, before and after he put on his blsck ski mask. His phone pinged on Sheridan Ave and in the jewelry store, where he bear-sprayed bystanders.
AUSA: Today in his apartment on Sheridan Ave we found bear spray and a bag of cash.
[Valenzuela stares down at table] He previously robbed a Good Will at gunpoint. He should be detained.
Federal Defender: His family is here and would co-sign. He has thyroid cysts.
Federal Defender: No gun was recovered.
AUSA: The robbery was planned in his apartment. He was hospitalized today because he picked his scab.
[He was a hospital bracelet on]
He used his mother as a shield.
FD: He could stay elsewhere. His father was abusive.
Judge: I order the defendant detained. This appears to be his third violent robbbery.
Story later.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
OK - US v. Neil Cole of Iconix continues, cooperator Horowitz (whose lawyer was harassed by Cole, US says) still under cross examination. Inner City Press is covering the trial patreon.com/posts/in-retri… and will live tweet, thread below
Cole's laywer Hecker: You didn't tell Melissa of Baked by Melissa that you had 15 meetings with the government about your fraud at Iconix, even though you were CEO of the cupcake company?
Horowitz: I didn't tell her.
Hecker: Weren't you distracted?
Horowitz: Yes
Hecker: You lied to Melissa, right?
Horowitz: I did.
Hecker: She believed you --
AUSA: Objection, asks for another person's thoughts.
Judge Ramos: Sustained.
Hecker: She told you, You lied to me repeatedly, right?
Horowitz: I don't remember her putting it that way
OK- now a defendant, charged with multiple counts of sale of fentanyl. He gets a Federal Defender, who is applying for release on bond. Threadette below.
AUSA: Yesterday he was selling 400 grams of fentanyl. He sells in front of a Bronx drug treatment facility. He had 9mm ammo.
Federal Defender: He 44 and has strong support. He was a porter at a senior center but hurt his back. He's on SSI and takes care of his children.
Judge: There are multiple hand to hand drug sales... Did he have the ammo when he was arrested?
AUSA: Yes.
OK - in Jan 6 case of US v. Derek Sulenta, now on Election Day 2022 he is pleading guilty in DDC, though he disagrees with some of the "Statement of Facts." Inner City Press will live tweet, thread below
DDC Judge Chutkan: I'm asking about the statement of offense - did you post, This is wild?
Sulenta: Yes, I posted that.
[Judge as been reading from this: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Judge Chutkan: Let's state the salient terms of the plea agreement.
A: The statutory maximum is six months.
Judge: What about restitution?
A: Paragraph 11, it is $500 as to Mr. Sulenta.
OK - US v. Neil Cole of Iconix trial continues today, Election Day, in an otherwise empty @sdnylive courthouse, Inner City Press which has been covering the case patreon.com/posts/filing-a… & will live tweet, esp cross of cooperator Horowitz later today, thread below
Assistant US Attorney: Mr. Horowitz, does this invoice back up the claim of $1.9 million of work by GBG in Southeast Asia?
Cooperator Seth Horowitz: No.
AUSA: Why did Iconix pay the invoice?
Horowitz: As part of the earlier deal...
Now with jury on a break, Judge Ramos asks Asst US Attorney, Is there an end in sight?
AUSA says the direct will continue such as to allow only a bit of cross today. Also an issue about admissibility of Wilmer Hale's invoices and legal fees. Thread will continue
OK- now at a sentencing for a 27 year old defendant / shooter with 28 grams of crack, who faces mandatory 10 years on top of 63 to 78 months for narcotics conspiracy. The latter, judge just said, will be varied down due to conditions in MDC jail. Thread below
Defense lawyer: He's had COVID three times while incarcerated in the MDC..
Judge: Is he vaccinated?
Defense lawyer: No. He doesn't trust the MDC. And he only has one kidney.
Assistant US Attorney: He perjured himself, sitting right next to you. He has no remorse for the shooting. He coordinated the beating and shooting of the girlfriend of the man he believed shot his brother.
Defense: We believe the officers perjured themselves.
Counsel: There were no referrals to Isackson, Lori Laughlin, or Abdelaziz... But when you invoke criminal conspiracy law, everything gets swept in.
Q: But couldn't you client be charged with the smaller conspiracy, as to his own children?
A: But there's good faith
Counsel: My client was in Asia on a 12 hour time difference, we're talking about a 30 second conversation. Schools are involved in side doors, back doors - you can get away with one weak manager, but not two. They put Isackson on the stand for more than a day...