| After NYCHA
Extortion Take Down Joacim
Mendez Pled to $37000 Now Gets
15 Months
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Sept 6 – For days Inner City
Press had heard from its
sources there would be a
"takedown" on February 6, each
SDNY Magistrate Judge would
handle seven to 10 defendants.
Arrests happen at
6 am. So at 5:55 am Inner City
Press tweeted it, first to X
subscribers with the spoiler
alert: the expectation was
that each of the current or
former NYCHA employees would
be released on bond the same
day.
And then hours
later at 9:39 am the
prosecutors announced it.
Media rushed around reporting
it. Inner City Press had
it first, and after discretely
waiting, published it first.
Then this thread of
presentments, here.
On May 7, amid
guilty pleas by others, Joacim
Mendez pled guilty; the
Information lists $36,500 in
bribes for contracts worth
$350,000. He is set to be
sentenced on September 6.
On August 30
Mendez' lawyers wrote in
asking for no jail time, while
noting that "we understand
that the Court has sentenced
other former NYCHA officials
to imprisonment for the same
conduct."
On September 4,
the US Attorney's Office asked
for 15 months, "slightly below
the applicable US Sentencing
Guidelines range of 18 to 24
months."
On September 6,
Mendez was sentenced to 15
months. Inner City Press was
there - from the thread:
Defense: Jail is
not needed here. Mendez: I am
so sorry, NYCHA gave me a
chance.
Judge: Your
betrayal of NYCHA, then, is
particularly notable. I
acknowledge you were part of a
culture of corruption.
Significant punishment is
called for.
Judge: General
deterrence is needed. Please
stand. I sentence you to 15
months in prison, to begin on
October 18.
Then
Mendez' lawyer made two
applications - to delay
surrendered to January 4,
after the holidays (denied)
and for designation to
Otisville (constructively
denied: recommendation will be
as close to NYC as possible,
but not the MDC).
The case is US v.
Mendez, 24-cr-308 (Cote)
Watch this
site - and these feeds: X
and X
for subscribers.
And Substack here
***
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