Bronx Drug Robbery and
Deadly Fall Lead To Victim Family Tears in
SDNY, 24 Year Sentence
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 7-- Jeffrey Guzman de la
Cruz is said to have
participated in the attempted
armed robbery of a drug dealer
in an apartment in 940 Grand
Concourse in March 2017,
during or just after which a
woman went out the window of
the apartment's kitchen and
fell to her death.
On March 5,
2020 - three years later - he
was in U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Magistrates Court, and
the government sought
detention. His co-defendant
Miguel Sarante, represented by
Sullivan & Cromwell,
consented to detention. But
Guzman de la Cruz sought bail,
represented by Sabrina
Shroff.
Shroff
argued that Guzman de la Cruz
was no longer in the apartment
when the women went out the
window, then in the
alternative that even if he
were to still have been in the
apartment, the struggle had
nothing to do with her going
out the window to her death.
The
Assistant US Attorney
responded with a two word
phrase: felony murder.
Suddenly Guzman de la Cruz'
post-arrest statement was cast
in a different light.
Jump cut to June
7, 2023, when co-defendant
Cristian Marino-Castro was up
for sentencing. Inner City
Press was there, thread here:
OK- now at
sentencing of Cristian
Marino-Castro - defendant has
8 supporters on one side of
the gallery; prosecutor
shepherds 8 into other side. 2
victims will speak
Aunt of victim
speaks first. Victim's 17 year
old son, she says, told her he
had no reason to live after
his mother was killed. He got
stabbed 5 times. Blames "el
delinquente aqui" [the
delinquent here]
Now
victim's daughter notes that
defendant came in smirking.
Then says, I forgive you. But
I want justice.
Prosecutor: This
was robbery and murder on
March 3, 2017. He entered the
apartment with a gun and the
victim fled to the fire escape
and fell 5 stories
Defense lawyer
says he was involved in
Attica, and that Judge's
father was on the Commission.
Says his client's mother is
Spain and he may be deported
there.
Marino: I thank
God. I struggle to be a good
citizen. Amen.
Judge
returns, says the guideline is
292 to 300 months in prison.
When you take a life, you
shatter a world. A long
sentence is needed to reimpose
some order in the moral
universe. [A family
member of the victim speaks
out, is quieted]
Judge: You are a
danger. Please srand. I
sentence you to 252 months in
prison.
It is US v. Marino-Castro
20-cr-157 (Liman)
***
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