| In DEA
Corruption Trial of Costanzo US
Sealed Courtroom Now He Asks For Probation
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
Book
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
April 16 – On May 20, 2022 DOJ
announced that "JOHN COSTANZO
JR., a Drug Enforcement
Administration Special Agent,
and MANUEL RECIO, a former DEA
Assistant Special
Agent-in-Charge, were indicted
in Manhattan federal court."
On October 27,
2023 with the trial belatedly
underway, Inner City Press was
in the courtroom when Special
Agent Brandon Jaycox
testified. Audio tapes were
being played. Behind the
scenes there were dueling
letters on the admissibility
of recordings about Recio
telling Costanzo about the
impending arrest of Cesar
Peralta.
On October 30
witness Hernandez - he
explained his nickname grew
from having "a head shaped
like a bowling ball" - read
from his text messages with
Costanzo, who he called
"boss."
On October
31, after Hernandez testified
about his relationship with
Alexander Saab, it emerged -
not in the docket - that the
US seeks to seal the
courtroom, citing what they
described in open court as an
exhibit concerning a
"unilateral operation" without
the consent of the country it
took place in, an operation
that apparently involved or
involves committing crimes.
Inner City Press joined an
oral request to unseal - with
a written letter.
Judge Oetken to
his credit docketed the letter
at 4:30 pm. But by then, the
courtroom was sealed, and
Inner City Press waiting
outside in the hall until past
5. Inside throughout were,
among others, two woman in the
gallery who left with a
defendant, seemingly family
members. So isn't the horse
out of the barn?
On November 8,
the jury came back with guilty
verdicts. Judge Oetken told
the parties to choose a
sentencing date in March or
April, 2024.
On November 17,
it was set for April 24, 2024
- and the SDNY prosecutors
wrote it to confirm and defend
that the family members
remained in the sealed
courtroom during Nadler's
testimony with the national
security information, citing
US v. Alimehmeti, 284 F. Supp.
3d 477, 487 (SDNY 2018). But
weren't they free to share the
dangerous document?
On April 15,
Costanzo's counsel wrote in
requesting a sentence of
probation, arguing that would
"allow this extraordinary,
selfless person, who has
already lost most, if not
everything, to continue caring
for his father, assisting his
community and serving his
community."
Back on July 15,
Judge Oekten held a
conference, which Inner City
Press live tweeted here
US letter
alleging conflict on Patreon here.
The case is US v.
Costanzo, 22-cr-281
(Oetken)
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