| Man Charged with Embezzling Architect
Asked Severance from Ex Husband Now New
Lawyer
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURTROOM
Exclusive, Sept 24 –
In the
U.S. District
Court for the
Southern
District of
New York on March 2,
2023 bail or
detention
proceedings were
held by
Magistrate
Judge Gabriel
W. Gorenstein
on a couple
charged with
setting up a
fake law firm
to embezzle
over $90,000
from a
Manhattan architectural
firm.
The
defendants are
Matthew Blake
Morrow-Wu with
many aliases,
and his [then]
husband Shangzehn
Wu.
Inner
City Press
covers the
SDNY Mag
Court(s). Related
Mag Court
live-tweeted
thread (more
on Patreon here) vlog here
The
Assistant US
Attorney based
his argument
on risk of
flight,
emphasizing
trips to
China, and
Morrow-Wu's
rap sheet. His
Federal
Defender said
that
conditions for
release could
be crafted.
Judge
Gorenstein
after a break
had ordered
Morrow-Wu
detained,
citing his
previously
violations of
trust and
absconding,
but offered
release to
Shengzhen Wu
if he can find
two financial
responsible
people as
co-signers on
a $50,000
bond; $5000
cash must be
put up, he
ruled. He did
not bar the
spouses from
communicating.
On
June 7, 2023,
Matthew
Morrow-Wu's
bail appeal
was heard. His
Federal
Defender had
put into the
record a
handwritten
note to him,
"Hey white
boy, I like
you and I hear
your [sic]
gay... I will
approach you
when the time
is
right."
Judge
Hellerstein
was amenable
to release on
bail - and
asked that it
be before the
end of the
day.
On
January 14,
the US
Attorney's
Office asked
to adjourn the
January 17
pre-trial
conference,
saying that
the victim
small firm
"does not have
an in-house IT
department"
and that a
work-around is
being sought
with a new IT
support
contact. Could
the small size
of the victim
help these
defendants?
Jump
cut to July
23, 2024 -
Shangzhen Wu
has moved for
severance from
Matthew
Morrow, saying
they got
divorced in
2024 and that
joint trial
now would be
prejudicial.
On
August 12, the
US Attorney's
Office wrote
in asking to
postpone
responding to
the motion to
sever, saying
they with
counsel for
Mr. Wu have
been engaging
in discussions
about a
potential
pre-trial
resolution
that may
obviate the
need for
further
briefing on
Mr. Wu's
motion to
sever.
On
August 28, the
US Attorney's
Office
submitted a
memo opposing
severance,
saying the
marital
communications
privilege does
not warrant
it.
On
September 24,
a new lawyer:
"Pretrial
Conference as
to Matthew
Morrow-Wu,
Shangzhen Wu
held on
9/24/2024.
Deft. Matthew
Morrow Wu and
attorney not
pres.; Deft.
Shangzhen Wu
present...
Atty. Mark
Cohen shall be
relieved but
shall continue
to receive ECF
notifications."
More
on Substack here
The
case is US v.
Morrow-Wu, et
al., 23-cr-90
(Hellerstein)
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