| Benjamin
Indicted and No Travel to Albany Unlike VA
& GA, $250000 Bond, No Comment
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 12 – Gerald Migdol, a
lawyer who develops real
estate in Harlem, was arrested
early on November 19, 2021.
Inner City Press covered his
arraignment and when he was
freed on $250,000 bond.
On April 12 the
other shoe dropped when New
York State Lt. Gov. Brian
Benjamin was indicted.
Announced were a noon press
conference by US Attorney
Damian Williams and a
presentment in the SDNY
Magistrates Court, both of
which Inner City Press will
cover.
Back
in November Migdol was brought
before U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Magistrate Judge Ona T.
Wang on the afternoon of
November 19, in blue jeans.
Inner City Press was there, in
the gallery.
As it
happens, Judge Wang is also on
duty on April 12, 2022. In the
early afternoon she arraigned
and freed Benjamin - on
agreeed conditions that allow
travel to Georgia and
Virginia, but not Albany:
"Minute Entry for proceedings
held before Magistrate Judge
Ona T. Wang: Initial
Appearance as to Brian
Benjamin (2) held on
4/12/2022. Detention Hearing
as to Brian Benjamin held on
4/12/2022. Date of Arrest:
4/12/2022, Vol. Surr. AUSA
Alison Moe & David
Abramowicz. Defense Counsel
(Retained): James Gatta &
William Harrington.
Proceeding: Rule 9. BAIL
DISPOSITION: Agreed conditions
of release; $250,000 PRB; 1
FRP; Travel restricted to
SDNY/EDNY/N.D.Ga., E.D.Va
& points in between;
Temporary additional travel
upon consent of AUSA &
approval of Pretrial Services;
Surrender travel documents
(& no new applications);
Pretrial supervision as
directed by Pretrial Services;
Defendant to be released on
own signature plus the
following conditions: FRP;
Remaining conditions to be met
by 4/19/2022. ADDITIONAL
PROCEEDINGS: Defendant
arraigned; pleads Not Guilty.
Conference before District
Judge on 4/19/2022 at 11:30
a.m.."
Inner City
Press sought to ask Benjamin
why, when he left the
courthouse, video here.
We'll have more on this.
The Office
of the US Attorney, being
publicly sworn in at exactly
that time at the Harlem
Armory, agreed to Migdol's
release on $250,000 personal
recognizance bond.
Migdol has
a gun, which must be turned
into the local police precinct
by November 23, and an expired
passport due later.
According
to the prosecutors,
"Candidate-1 filed a
certification with the CFB in
or about September 2019,
becoming a candidate for the
office of the New York City
Comptroller and opting in to
the CFB’s matching funds
program. Thereafter,
MIGDOL and others conspired to
obtain fraudulent
contributions for Candidate-1
that would be used, among
other things, to seek public
matching funds from the CFB.
.. Through these and other
efforts, MIGDOL and others
involved in the scheme
procured nominee and other
fraudulent contributions for
Candidate-1’s campaign, which
in turn were submitted to the
CFB by Candidate-1’s campaign
in connection with requests
for at least tens of thousands
of dollars in additional
public matching funds."
The case
is assigned to District Judge
J. Paul Oetken, who has
scheduled a conference for
December 6 at 11.
Inner City Press
will stay on the case.
It is US v.
Migdol, 21-cr-706 (Oetken /
Wang)
***
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