| Uzbek
Speaker Charged with Money Laundering Was
Also a Chef Who Proffered Now Two Years
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURT
EXCLUSIVE, Sept 4 – In the
U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York
on February 18, 2022 a
detention or release
proceeding was held by
Magistrate Judge Stewart D.
Aaron on a defendant charged
with money laundering and
running an unlicensed money
transfer business.
Inner City
Press covers the Magistrates
Court, sometimes alone in the
gallery, as it was on that
February 18. This
defendant's
name was given
as Shukhrat
Adbullaev and
he had an Uzbek
interpreter.
(During the
proceeding it
was called
Russian, but
the docket
says Uzbek.)
The complaint
describes meetings
in JFK
Airport, and Abdullaev
being told
the funds
were
fraudulent but
nonetheless
proceeding.
The
Assistant US
Attorney
quickly agreed
that he should
be released on
$100,000
unsecured
bond.
Jump
cut to
September 4,
2024 when Abdullaev
after pleading
guilty
- and, it
was said,
seeking to
cooperate - was
up for
sentencing.
Inner City
Press was
there, thread:
Defense:
He came from
Uzbekistan in
2011, he was
an Uzbek chef
until COVID.
He is ashamed
of this
conduct. This
letter says
Uzbek
politicians
sought out his
food
Defense:
He may be
removed, as he
is not a US
citizen. He
was willing to
cooperate, but
he got no 5K
letter. Judge:
The US says
even after
arrest he
sought to run
an unlicensed
money
transmitting
business.
Defense: He
was being
threatened and
was desperate
AUSA:
We ask for a
37 month
guideline
sentence. He
laundered 100
checks through
the airline,
for $700,000
[hawala
described]. We
caught him in
a sting.
Judge:
I am concerned
by the
post-arrest
conduct. I
sentence you
to 24 months
imprisonment.
The case is US v.
Abdullaev,
22-cr-614 (Preska)
***
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