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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTROOM Exclusive, Sept 24 – In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 9, 2021 a detention hearing was held by Magistrate Judge Steward D. Aaron on Kimy Hakim, who was arrested on August 6 in Georgia and then spend a month being transported to SDNY.

But there's more. It emerged during the detention - or, as it happened, bail -- hearing that Hakim was previously arrested in Kenya. Inner City Press, the only media in the SDNY Mag Court, dug it up: "NAIROBI, October 13, 2008 – An American man was on Monday afternoon charged before a Kibera Court with trafficking cocaine worth about Sh8 million.  Timy Hakim who was arrested on Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he was boarding a plane heading for Italy appeared before Kibera Chief Magistrate, Maureen Odera and denied trafficking in 1.9 kilograms of cocaine.  His lawyer Cliff Ombetta applied for bail, but the prosecution objected claiming Mr Hakim might abscond."

 In fact, it seems he did. Mr. Hakim, described as of Lebanese descent and having grown up in Senegal, is listed as having businesses in Benin and well as South Africa - and with getting a COVID Paycheck Protection Program loan of over $20,000, here. That's not the charge, though.

 The Assistant US Attorney, mentioning not PPP but wire fraud and money laundering, urged the detention of Timy Hakim.

 But Hakim's Federal Defender Ian Marcus Amelkin said he makes music videos for "African artists" and could live with his parents in Dearborn, Michigan.

   Jump cut to May 13, 2022 when the September 19 trial date slipped, on the request of the Federal Defender(s) citing another trial before Judge Alkin K. Hellerstein. Judge Liman asked why this one was, in essence, taking a back seat to the other, which apparently involved a misdemeanor offer and a rejected non prosecution agreement.Ultimately, a fixed and final date was agreed to: December 5.

On October 18, this: "NOTICE OF HEARING as to Timy Hakim. A Change of Plea Hearing is scheduled for October 24, 2022 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 15C, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007 before Judge Lewis J. Liman."

And on October 19, music videographer and more Timy Hakim was OK-ed for publicly funded travel to his guilty plea.

On October 24, Inner City Press went to cover Timy Hakim's guilty plea. There was no one else in the gallery. Hakim admitted that he had impersonated a diplomat; then it was specified this was in connection with a romance scam. (There were also business enterprise schemes and a lottery scheme). His able Federal Defender pushed off sentencing until June 7 at 11 am to allow back surgery in February 2023; he noted that the Marshals are NOT paying for Hakim's return flight to Michigan.
 
  Judge Liman said the statute doesn't allow for payment for such return flights, and asked for any case law to the contrary. Strangely, Hakim has agreed to over $600,000 in forfeiture.

Nearly a year passed, when on September 22 the US Attorney's Office filed an amended sentencing memo asking for a sentencing within the 37 to 46 month guideline, citing the destructive impact on 15 victims.

Jump cut again to January 26, 2024 - Hakim was still not in jail, now asking for delay in surrender until September 16, 2024. The letter request has redactions. On a court call that was public, and that Inner City Press which has covered the case called into, a more detailed letter was requested. After it, Judge Liman gave some but not all of the requested delay: "ENDORSED LETTER as to Timy Hakim addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman from Ian H. Marcus Amelkin, Esq. dated January 24, 2024 re: The defense writes to respectfully request the Court delay Mr. Hakim's voluntary surrender from March 29, 2024 until September 16, 2024.... ENDORSEMENT: Mr. Hakim shall surrender to the institution designated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons no later than June 25, 2024. No further adjournments. SO ORDERED."

On April 26, 2024, Hakim's application for a bail modification was denied on risk of flight grounds: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Timy Hakim (1) denying [104] LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman from Zawadi S. Baharanyi dated 04/26/2024 re: Bail Modification. ENDORSEMENT: REQUEST DENIED. The motion to modify bail conditions is denied as Defendant has not shown that, if bail is modified, he is not likely to flee. (Signed by Judge Lewis J. Liman on 4/26/2024)."

On May 6, things got more specific: no Disney World: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Timy Hakim (1) denying [106] LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman from Zawadi S. Baharanyi dated 04-29-2024 re: 105 Order on Letter Motion, re: Renewed Bail Modification- Travel Request. ENDORSEMENT: Application to modify the conditions of bail to permit Defendant to travel to Disney World is denied. (Signed by Judge Lewis J. Liman on 5/6/2024)"

On August 23, 2024, Isaiah Okere was extradited in, and Inner City Press was there, thread:

OK - now at extradition in case of wire fraud which has included diplomat impersonation by lead defendant who already pled guilty, living in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

AUSA: We seek detention. Defense: We consent with prejudice. [He was extradited in at 5 am] AUSA: A victim of this romance scam has been urged to pay for this defendant's lawyer

 Judge: If it continues to happen, it could be a separate crime, of witness tampering. AUSA: And obstruction. Adjourned.

On September 5, 2024, Okere appeared before Judge Liman. The Assistant US Attorney quoted Okere's CJA counsel about talks in an advance stage toward reaching a "resolution" - meaning, a guilty plea.

On September 18, Judge Liman set the change of plea for September 24: "NOTICE OF HEARING as to Isaiah Okere: A Change of Plea Hearing is scheduled for September 24, 2024 at 12:30 PM in Courtroom 15C, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007 before Judge Lewis J. Liman."

On September 24, he pled, and the prosecutors announced: "ISAIAH OKERE plead guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman to charges stemming from his participation in an international conspiracy to defraud at least 15 victims of romance schemes, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes. OKERE is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman on January 14, 202[5]."

 Back on April 8, 2022 Judge Liman approved Hakim being released from condition to attend a concern in Madison Square Garden on April 28 with his client, Nigerian musican Damini Ogulu a/k/a Burna Boy. Burna made murky appearance at the UN with Deputy S-G Amina J. Mohammed (who backdated CITES certificates to send endangered rosewood to China - but now has immunity). We'll have more on this.

  Previously in the nearly empty Magistrates court Hakim had a sort of mohawk dyed yellow, and got a new blue Covid mask.

As of November 2019 in South Africa, this: "Dear Timy Hakim, You walked out without paying your bill and refused to leave at check out time. You inconvenienced one of our arrival guests by leaving your room 3 hours late. Your childish and hysterical display at our reception desk was recorded and we reported you to the police for theft and damage to our room. You are not welcome back in this establishment nor are your dubious friends who have also been recorded."

 Judge Aaron returned from a session with Pre Trial Services and said he would release Rivera on a $200,000 Personal Recognisance Bond, to be secured by $100,000 in cash or real estate - which he clarified could be the parents' home "if there is enough equity in it."

  Back on October 12 he had not been released, pending full "perfection" of the bond - the posting of the lien. His Federal Defender asked Magistrate Judge Netburn for release, stating "over the weekend, conditions at the MDC deteriorated significantly. Due to electrical work, inmates were left with no water, spotty electricity, no hot food and a lack of adequate staff at the facility."

On October 13, Judge Sarah Netburn granted the request, and money to travel: "TRANSPORTATION ORDER as to Timy Hakim: it is hereby ORDERED that the United States Marshals Service furnish Timy Hakim with funds to cover the cost of travel between New York, New York and Dearborn Heights, Michigan following the satisfaction of his bail conditions, to travel on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 no earlier than at 12:30pm; and it is hereby further ORDERED that the aforesaid expenses shall be paid by the United States Marshals Service. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on 10/13/2021)." See also, the strange case of US v. Johnson / John Doe, here. 

This case is US v. Hakim, 21-cr-259 (Liman).

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