Inner City Press





In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYTAzerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .



These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis
,



Share |   

Follow on TWITTER

Home -

These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis

CONTRIBUTE

(FP Twitterati 100, 2013)

ICP on YouTube

More: InnerCityPro

BloggingHeads.tv
Sept 24, 2013

UN: Sri Lanka

VoA: NYCLU

FOIA Finds  

Google, Asked at UN About Censorship, Moved to Censor the Questioner, Sources Say, Blaming UN - Update - Editorial

Support this work by buying this book
Belt and Roadkill
(and paperback)

Click on cover for secure site orders

also includes "Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City"
 

 

 


Community
Reinvestment

Bank Beat

Freedom of Information
 

How to Contact Us



Italian Man Charged With Literary Wire Fraud Had Bond Secured by London Flat Now Cash

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Feb 1 –   An Italian man arrested on January 5 at JFK airport was ordered released on bond on January 6. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and live tweeted, here and below.   The US Attorney had announced:

"an indictment charging FILIPPO BERNARDINI with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a multi-year scheme to impersonate individuals involved in the publishing industry in order to fraudulently obtain hundreds of pre-publication manuscripts of novels and other forthcoming books.  BERNARDINI was arrested this afternoon when he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport.  He will be presented tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court."  

On January 6 Inner City Press reported on the detention of another defendant as a felon in possession of ammunition; Bernardini, on the other hand, was release. Thread here:

Bernardini is getting a publicly funded Federal Defender. He pleads not guilty. US is seeking his detention, saying he resides in UK and is a risk of flight.

AUSA quotes Bernardini, upon his arrest yesterday, saying, How can I be arrested here? I am not a US citizen. Federal Defender says Bernardini was arrested at JFK airport yesterday with his long time partner Benjamin Kaye, who is here in court. He works for Kellogg's.

Federal Defender says Mr Bernardini's father is flying to New York with cash; she mentions $200,000. They could stay in the West Village with electronic monitoring.

 Now Bernardini's partner Benjamin Kaye raises his offer to $300,000, secured by London flat. Judge asks if he'd surrender his passport.

 Federal Defender: They're here on US visa waiver program. Kellogg's would let him work from NY for 2 months.

 Judge: Could Mr Kaye put up the security today? AUSA: It would have to involve confession of judgment. 

Federal Defender: He could be outfitted with a GPS bracelet today

 Judge: There are conditions for release. I will release him on bond signed by Mr Kay and Mr Bernardini's father, and a US co-signer. Surrender passport for 2 months and reside at [ ] West 13th Street, Apartment [ ].

Judge: Before release, they must sign the bond and surrender passport. Seek or maintain employment -

Federal Defender: He won't be allowed to work. And the apartment is small.

Judge: I'll order a curfew, and he must notify Pre-Trial if out for more than an hour.


On January 25, Bernardini's request to secure his bond not with Benjamin Kaye's apartment but cash was approved. Notably, Bernardini's counsel said he has been unable to find any U.S. co-signer. And on February 1, a schedule was set:  The matter is adjourned to April 5, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., for a status conference. Speedy trial time is excluded through April 5, 2022, in the interest of justice, to allow for the review discovery and to facilitate plea discussions.

The case is US v. Bernardini, 21-cr-458 (McMahon)

***

@SDNYLIVE courthouse #CourtCastCast
                              200 Worth Street
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA

Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540



Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2022 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com