Mixed Verdict After Chinese Consulate
Sought to Visit Fentanyl Duo in Hubei
Biotech Case
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 30 – The
day after
fentanyl and
China were
denounced by
all eight GOP
candidates in
their debate
in Milwaukee,
two defendants
were brought
shackled into
a federal
courtroom in
New York,
charged with
conspiracy to
important at
least 200
kilograms of
fentanyl
precursors.
Inner City
Press was
there.
Qingzhou Wang
had recently
changed
lawyers, from
a free Federal
Defender to
retained
counsel Daniel
Arshack.
Citing
the change of
counsel, U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York Judge
Paul G.
Gardephe set
another court
date in the
future,
October 24 at
10 am.
The
Assistant US
Attorney
described
trying to
brute-force
crack the
defendants'
cell phones,
two
each.
Also
charged in the
case is the
company Hubei
Amarvel
Biotech Co.
LTD, which is
unrepresented
in the docket
like a Last
Name Unknown
co-defendant
also known as
Er Yang or
Anita.
Back
on June 28 ,
counsel to
co-defendant
Yiyi Chen
asked Judge
Gardephe,
"I've spoken
to
representatives
of the Chinese
Consulate.
They're here
in court
today. They'd
like to know
if they can
have a brief
non-contact
visit with Ms.
Chen and the
co-defendant
if it's okay
with the Court
and the
marshals."
On
September 5,
now Yiyi Cheng
brought in as
retained
counsel
Shaoming Cheng
(whose only
SDNY case this
is).
On
October 12,
counsel to
Qingzhou Wang
wrote to Judge
Gardephe
complaining
about the
government's
delay in
providing
funds for
translations
to Mandarin
(initially
justified by
the possible
government
shutdown).
Counsel
remains
"available" on
October 24,
though.
On
October 24,
Inner City
Press was on
the 7th floor
of 40 Foley
Square when
the two
defendants
would brought
up by
elevator, in
MDC tan, by
Marshals.
Afterward,
"Status
Conference as
to Qingzhou
Wang held .
On
July 25, Judge
Gardephe held
a status
conference and
Inner City
Press went, thread
On
November 18,
Judge Gardephe
denied
severance and
heard of
discovery and
health issues.
Inner City
Press was
there, from
the thread
Judge:
I deny Wang's
motion to
sever. Trial
is set for Jan
13.
On
January 14
Inner City
Press went;
jury selection
continued,
with the legal
question
eliciting
"yes" answers
from a
Westchester
defense
attorney and
former
prosecutor.
Wang had
written in to
the judge in
Chinese
(docketed);
the US put in
the docket
exhibits from
Google Ads,
rejecting an
ad for
fentanyl.
On
January 15,
Yiyi Chen
requested, and
Judge Gardephe
granted, the
right for the
defendant to
have her
discovery
laptop in
Courtroom 105
during trial.
On
January 17,
Inner City
Press was
there amid
testimony
about a
meeting on
meth and
fentanyl,
thread:
AUSA:
What were you
buying from
them? Witness:
Fentanyl. Also
chemicals for
meth. AUSA:
Please play
the video 502
[mostly audio,
of witness
talk drug shop
with the
defendants]
After
a break, more
audio played
for jury.
Chen: We can
ship it to
Mexico, but it
has to go
through
America
Rodriguez: Mr
Wang is the
boss, right?
Chen: There is
another boss
in Japan
AUSA:
Did you end up
meeting this
other boss,
during the
meeting in
Bangkok?
Rodriguez:
Yes, by
Facetime.
Jump
cut to January
29, when the
US proposed to
Judge Gardephe
to add more to
his answer to
the jury
question, Does
supplying
chemical
constitute
manufacturing?"
Judge Gardephe
denied the US
motion to
supplement his
answer.
On
January 30, a
mixed verdict:
"JURY VERDICT
as to Qingzhou
Wang (2)
Guilty on
Count 2s and
Yiyi Chen (3)
Guilty on
Count 2s.
Qingzhou Wang
(2) Not Guilty
on Count 1s
and Yiyi Chen
(3) Not Guilty
on Count 1s."
They will be
sentenced in
May and June -
and they
remain in
detention...
The
case is USA v.
Hubei Amarvel
Biotech Co.
LTD, et al.,
1:23-cr-302
(Gardephe)
More
details on
Substack here
***
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