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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon, Thread III
The Source - XXL - The Root - etc

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 19 – Richard Ochetal was a New York City Police Department officer who took bribes to give out gun licenses. Then he turned into a government witness.

On September 25 with the US Attorney and Probation arguing for no jail time, Ochetal got just that from U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Sidney H. Stein: time served.

   Ochetal will also be receiving a $2,300 a month pension from the taxpayers starting in 2022. At first Judge Stein asked his lawyer John Arlia why he had claimed that Ochetal was left without a pension.

    Then Ochetal turned on the water works, crying that "I am a good hard working person." It appears to impact Stein - as he read out the sentence started to say, to the custody of, and, upon your release, then took them back.   

One is left wondering if all cooperators get this treatment. Will Daniel Hernandez, the rapper known as Tekashi 6ix9ine, get time served? Will his driver Jorge Rivera? Inner City Press is covering that case. Watch this site.

  When  6ix9ine, finished three days of cooperating testimony for the government last week against his former partners in the Nine Trey Bloods gang, conviction seemed likely for defendants Aljermiah "Nuke" Mack and Anthony "Harv" Elisson.   Harv was caught on video apparently car-jacking Hernandez and his driver Jorge Rivera. Video here.   

But then Harv's lawyer Deveraux Cannick began the question the timing and specifics of the carjacking and kidnapping. It coincided with the release of one of 6ixNine's songs; Cannick asked again and again if the rapper had specified the dozens of punches he now claimed while in proffer sessions with the prosecution.   

Hernandez wants the all important 5K1 cooperation letter. Without it he faces a minimum of 47 years and maximum of life. But what will not only insulting the Bloods but also linking other rappers like Trippie Redd to the gang, things may be difficult in or out of jail.   On the third day of the trial it emerged that audio had been recorded of the begining of Hernandez' direct examination, apparently from inside the courtroom.

Judge Engelmayer prohibited any further entry of phones or other electronics.   The government's initial estimate of a two to three week trial now seemed too long. Prosecutor Michael Longyear told Judge Engelmayer the government might complete its case by Wednesday, September 25.

Inner City Press will continue to cover this and other SDNY and 2nd Circuit cases - watch this site, and there is more on Patreon, here.