| Man
Charged With Fentanyl Sale That Killed
Woman Was Freed Then Remanded Now Pleads
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
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BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY MAG COURT
EXCLUSIVE, Sept 13 - In
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York on October 3, a detention
or bond proceedings was held
by Magistrate Judge Gabriel W.
Gorenstein. Inner City Press
was there, the only media in
the Mag Court.
The
defendant was Melchizedek
Johnson, charged with a series
of sales including fentanyl,
including one sale the AUSA
said led to the death of the
customer, a woman. In the
courtroom gallery were two
supporters, one with dyed red
hair like Johnson.
The AUSA asked
for detention, but when asked
by Judge Gorenstein for the
details of four other
arrested, and why DOJ waited
two years since the 2020 death
to make this arrest, did not
have clear answers.
The Federal
Defender countered that
Johnson had appeared in court
on all the other cases.
Judge Gorenstein
after conferring with
pre-trial trial services said
he would release Johnson on
$50,000 bond, after two
financial responsible people
had signed the bond. He said
having the information about
the four arrests might have
made a difference.
The case was
assigned to District Judge
Valerie E. Caproni in late
November 2022. On April 5,
2023, his bail was revoked.
On September 13,
2023, Johnson pled guilty and
sentencing was set for January
3, 2024 at 2:30 pm. On his way
down, he joined on the 40
Foley Square elevator another
detained defendant from
another floor, here.
The case is now
US v. Johnson, 22-cr-643
(Caproni)
***
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