Prisoner Who
Passed Balloon of Contraband in
Cell Awaiting Release Is
Detained for Testing
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
June 21 – Just after being
ordered released, a Federal
prisoner removed a four-inch
balloon of contraband from his
colon and threw it to a prison
in the next holding cell,
wrapped in a T-shirt. The U.S.
Marshals saw.
He was
brought back before U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Magistrate Judge James L.
Cott, on his last day
presiding of the SDNY Mag
court before retiring. Inner
City Press was there.
The
Assistant US Attorney said the
defendant admitted to Marshals
that the ballon contained
narcotics as well as tobacco.
But the Federal Defender
insisted it was tobacco only
and that he should still be
release.
Judge Cott put
his previously release order
in abeyance, pending testing
of the contents of the
balloon. He said he retained
jurisdiction - so while
perhaps his last Mag court
case, it may not be his last
proceeding.
The case is
US v. Colon, 13-cr-376 (Ramos
/ Cott)
***
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