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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 30 – While many or even most cases in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York are sealed or have case numbers given only later, on September 30 Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox was presented with an alleged Ponzi schemer dressed in New York Giants pajama pants. James T. Booth, as is rare, did not waive the public reading of the indictment against him.

It was signed, sealed, on September 27 by Judge Robert W. Lehrburger, and describes Booth telling a widow "she would have $1 million by the time she was 100 years old." Booth swindled money from a child's college fund and for the care of a disabled sibling. He's out on his own signature, though. The case is US v. Booth, 19-cr-00699 (Koeltl).

Back on September 27 Mag Judge Robert W. Lehrburger detained two defendants whose complaint was still sealed an hour after the proceeding. Joshua Olivo and Pierre Greene are accused of selling meth as ecstasy to college students as well as bring guns up for Georgia for sale. Assistant US Attorney Ryan Finkel said the government has 21 videos of their sales of drugs and guns and that the meth looked like candy, stashed in the home where Greene's young son lives. Greene's lawyer John Zach said that driving back and forth to Georgia is nothing special; when he parks in Harlem he sees many license plates from Georgia. Judge Lehrburger was unconvince.dd. While bailing co-defendant Ms. Robado he detained both men, with a next date in October.

Just before, Judge Lehrburger processed and detained two other defendants just in from prison in Thailand whose indictment had just been unsealed.

Umar Sadiq and Rashid Mahmood were the subject of a sealed indictment for movement of heroin from Pakistan into the US in December 2018 when Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang signed warrants. The two arrived in New York from Thailand at 10:15 am on September 27.

Sadiq got Federal Defender Julia Gotto, fresh off her victory getting a Department of Homeless Services Sergeant who beat up a homeless man found not guilty. Mahmood got CJA lawyer Mr. Zach who sees many license plates from Georgia.

Ms Gatto said her client has IDS; Mahmood himself said he need Halal food and medicine for diabetes. Will they be better off in the MCC than Thai prison? Inner City Press will stay on this case.

SW