| Honduras
Ex-Prez JOH Is Presented By Video to SDNY
Next Is May 10 Arraignment
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
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BBC-Guardian
UK - Honduras
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NY
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SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 22 – After the
president of Honduras' brother
Tony Hernandez was convicted
of drug trafficking and
sentenced to life plus thirty
years, on April 21 the
ex-president himself, Juan
Orlando Hernandez, was
extradited to the United
States.
Inner City
Press which covered the trials
of Tony Hernandez and Giovanny
Fuentes Ramirez immediatley published
the unsealed JOH indictment,
which was returned on January
27, 2022 but left under
seal.
The
indictment is under the same
docket number of Tony
Hernandez, 15-cr-379, before
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge P. Kevin Castel.
Later on April
21, a lawyer filed a notice of
appearance to represent JOH:
Raymond L. Colon of 131
Pugsley Avenue in The Bronx,
with 30 other cases over the
years in SDNY.
On April 22 by
video Colon represented JOH at
his presentment. Inner City
Press live tweeted here:
OK - now the
presentment of former Honduras
president Juan Orlando
Hernandez. He is visible on
screen with a phone in his
ear, in the same jacket he was
extradited from Tegucigalpa
in.
Now JOH,
maskless, is talking into
telephone handset. His volume
is down; his lawyer Raymond
Colon is on another line,
says, "I am back if anyone is
looking for me." JOH will be
using an interpreter.
For the
government: AUSA Elinor
Tarlow. JOH, with a white wall
behind him, is looking
wistfully out a window to his
right. And here's Magistrate
Judge Aaron, apparently from
his chambers
Raymond Colon is
not visible by video. Just
Judge Aaron, AUSA Tarlow and,
on the big screen, JOH. Judge
Aaron: Mr. Orlando Hernandez,
are you able to understand me?
JOH: Yes, through the
interpreter.
AUSA Tarlow is
the only one using the
blurring function on her video
camera. Colon: I have
discussed this with my client.
He agrees to proceed
virtually. Judge Aaron: Mr.
Orlando Hernandez, you agree?
JOH: Es correcto.
Judge
Aaron: Mr. Orlando Hernandez,
you are charged with certain
crimes... You have the right
to remain silent. We
have have to notify your
country that you have been
arrested. [No irony there.]
Judge Aaron: A
grand jury returned an
indictment against you for
cocaine importation,
possession of machine guns,
conspiracy. Since 2004 to 2022
you allegedly participated in
a drug trafficking
organization and received
millions to support DTOs in
Honduras, Mexico
AUSA Tarlow: The
Government is seeking
detention.
Colon: We consent
but may file a request for
release on bail later, once we
get the sureties in place.
Judge Aaron: I'm aware there
was an extradition here. AUSA
Tarlow: He arrived here at
12:50 am.
AUSA
Tarlow: There is an
arraignment on May 10 at 11 am
before Judge Castel. We move
to exclude Speedy Trial Act
time. Colon: No
objection. Judge Aaron
(after 5f notice, through
which JOH nods and stares out
the window) We are adjourned.
Post
script: After the proceeding,
word is that Juan Orlando
Hernandez is in the custody of
the Drug Enforcement Agency,
DEA - hence the better than
normal conditions he Zoomed in
from.
Previously,
Inner City Press asked UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres why he supported
already-disgraced JOH in
helping to steal his second
election, by sending a four
person panel with no read-out.
There has still
been no answer from UN
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric -
but Guterres' head of media
access Melissa Fleming has
banned Inner City Press,
ongoing.
On April 21 Inner
City Press posted vlogs in English
and Spanish,
and streamed the DEA press
statement from DC, here.
We will cover JOH's
presentment, arraignment and
trial.
The case is US v.
Juan Orlando Hernandez,
15-cr-379 (Castel).
***
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