For
Attack on 3
NYPD Bickford
Wants Decade
After Pled
Guilty Now
Says Saved
Life in MDC
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
book
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 11 –
Trevor
Bickford, on
charges of
attacking
three police
officers in
NYC's Times
Square on New
Years Eve with
a machete, was
presented
shackled in
Federal court
in Manhattan
on February 6,
2023 Inner
City Press was
there.
U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York
Magistrate
Judge Ona T.
Wang read
Bickford the
charges, then
asked about
bail or
detention.
Not
surprisingly,
Bickford
through his
Federal
Defender
consented to
detention -
"without
prejudice to
making an
application"
for bail
later.
Bickford
appeared
medicated, but
spoke clearly
when he said
"Yes" to if
he's seen the
complaint
against him.
His feet and
hands were
chained,
making it
difficult to
raise his hand
to swear to
his financial
affidavit.
Bickford is 19
years old and
according to
the complaint
began reading
the Koran in
May 2022, and
tried to fly
to Jordan to
join the jihad
- in
Afghanistan or
closer Syria -
in December.
He
could not get
on the flight
and, the
complaint
says, headed
to Times
Square on New
Years Eve.
On
June 6, 2023,
Bickford was
brought by
three US
Marshals
before the
assigned
District
Judge, P.
Kevin Castel.
His Federal
Defender said
she wants to
move to
dismiss Count
1 as
duplicative
(Counts 2-4
are about each
police
officer).
Judge Castel
gave her until
July 13 to
make the
motion, and
set a
September 13
next
appearance.
Afterward
Bickford asked
if he would be
back in court
on July 13. He
looked if
anything
younger than
19. In the
MDC, he cannot
read PDFs, his
lawyer said.
On
September 13,
Judge Castel
heard
arguments on
but deferred
decision on
the defense
motion to
strike either
Count 1, or
Counts 2-4.
Inner City
Press was
there, thread:
Judge
Castel asking
who the
intended
victims were -
military-aged
men working
for the
government?
AUSA cites
Timothy
McVeigh case.
AUSA:
He psyched
himself up by
watching Al
Qaeda
propadanda
video. Then he
went to Times
Square.
Judge:
What about the
multiplicity
doctrine, or
double
jeopardy? That
you can charge
Counts 1, 2
and 3, or
Court 1, but
not both?
AUSA:
We could carve
out Officers
1-3
Courtroom
note: Bickford
in MDC tan is
motionless as
his lawyers
whisper in
front of him.
Judge: I'll
take the
motion under
advisement.
Trial now set
for March 18,
2024.
On
September 26,
Judge Castel
ordered: "as
to Trevor
Thomas
Bickford.
Defendant
Trevor Thomas
Bickford moves
for an Order
dismissing
Count One of
the Indictment
or,
alternatively,
dismissing
Counts Two
through Four,
arguing that
the four
counts
combined
violate the
doctrine of
multiplicity,
which is an
aspect of the
Double
Jeopardy
Clause of the
Fifth
Amendment.
Defendant's
motion is
GRANTED to the
extent that
within 14
days, the
government
shall file
with the Court
a consent to
the dismissal
of either
Count One or
Counts Two
through Four.
The Clerk is
respectfully
directed to
terminate the
motion. (ECF
27.) (Signed
by Judge P.
Kevin Castel
on
9/26/2023)."
On
October 10,
the SDNY
prosecutors
wrote in and
dropped Count
One:
"Attempted
Murder of
Officers and
Employees of
the US
Government."
They will
proceed on
Counts 2-4.
On
October 12,
Judge Castel
docketed:
"MEMO
ENDORSEMENT as
to Trevor
Thomas
Bickford on
re: [33]
Letter filed
by
USA...ENDORSEMENT...Count
One is
dismissed with
prejudice."
And
count 1 was
not in there
when Bickford
pleaded guilty
on January 11,
2024: "Minute
Entry for
proceedings
held before
Judge P. Kevin
Castel: Change
of Plea
Hearing as to
Trevor Thomas
Bickford held
on 1/11/2024.
Plea entered
by Trevor
Thomas
Bickford
Defendant
changes not
guilty plea
and pleads
guilty to
Counts 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, and 7
of the
Indictment.
Defendant
admits
forfeiture
order in
paragraphs 8
and 9 of the
Indictment.
Sentencing is
scheduled for
April 11."
It
was moved to
May 9, and on
April 25 the
Federal
Defenders
wrote in to
ask for a ten
year sentence
for Bickford,
describing him
saving a life
in the MDC in
December 2023.
Inner City
Press will
stay on the
case.
It
is US v.
Bickford,
23-cr-91
(Castel)
***
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