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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
Honduras - The Source - The Root - etc

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 5 – Francisco Jose Maria was presented on charges of bank fraud and using the alias "El Pollito" in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrates Court on November 5.

 The government sought detention, saying that the defendant is not a citizen and has been flying below the radar. By contrast this lawyer said this meant working construction on Long Island and supporting his disabled common law wife and her seven year old daughter.

   Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger inquired into the age of El Pollito's children in the Dominican Republic, calling them adult children. But one, it emerged, is eight years old.

  Judge Lehrburger after reflecting on it in his robing room returned ready to rule. The Assistant US Attorney made sure to tell him that the removal proceeding against his had only begun the night before, triggered by the arrest.

 His defense lawyer Ms Goldstein told Judge Lehrburger it's not like ICE would come swoop him up if he were released on bond, "they're not doing that these days."

 Judge Lehburger found and set conditions of release: $100,000 bond with $5,000 of it secured, turn in any passport, travel restricted to the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the latter including Long Island. The case was listed as 19-mj-10154, US v. Francisco Jose Maria (UA), but it did not show up in PACER even two hours after the presentment. Inner City Press will stay on these cases, and issues.