| 27 Bronxites
Indicted on Valentine Ave As US Mulls
Death Penalty Now Loosening Denied
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
May 21 – Angel Villafane,
previously convicted of a
felony, was arrested for
having a gun in incidents
starting at 97th Street and
Second Avenue then 110th
Street and the FDR (long
barrel firearm)
On May 20,
2022 U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Victor
Marrero held a conference.
Inner City Press covered it,
the only media there.
Jump cut to March
6, 2024 - now it was grown to
a 16 defendant indictment: "As
alleged, day in and day out,
this crew distributed
fentanyl, heroin, and crack
along several blocks on
Valentine Avenue."
Inner City Press
went to arraignments including
that of Christopher Meadows,
who the prosecutor described
as an enforcer for the lead
named defendant (who was
detained on consent).
Based on
medical conditions named in
court but which Inner City
Press will voluntarily not
report, he was ordered bailed
on $50,000 bond to his
mother's residence in
Soundview by Magistrate Judge
Valerie Figueredo. On the day
of appeal, the US agreed to
release.
On March 20,
co-defendant Damel Marcus
asked for release on bail, in
Magistrates Court. Inner City
Press was there, thread
Late in the day
came notice that the defense
has appealed to Part I, for
March 21. Inner City Press was
there, thread
On October 4, a
bail review and a full-case
proceeding, thread
On March 20,
counsel filed a critique of
slow production of discovery,
and of the scope of the
alleged conspiracy, now back
to 1993, "when many of the
defendants either were not
born, were in diapers or had
never even been to The Bronx."
On March 21,
Inner City Press went, from
the thread:
Here in 15th
floor hallway, at least 50
family members. Defendants
were brought from MDC Brooklyn
by bus, not van.
All the
family members who have come
can't fit in courtroom 15B.
Defendants will be split into
two groups...
On April 2,
referring back to the March 21
conference, Paramus-based
retained counsel to
co-defendant Calderone wrote
in that she opposed Speedy
Trial Act time exclusion on
his behalf, not of another
co-defendant she was also
standing in for.
On April 23
co-defendant Banks was
presented and detained on
consent; the next conference
is set for May 16.
On May 15 the US
Attorney's Office wrote in
that two trials should be set,
March 2 and May 4, 2024,
saying "should the Government
be directed to seek the death
penalty," motions would ensue.
Directed from Main Justice?
Inner City Press
went to the 15th floor
courtroom on May 16. The
courtroom was entirely full,
with defendants in the jury
box, CJA lawyers at the tables
and in the front row. They
spoke in term, some more
recently in the case. Judge
Marrero floated the idea of
having another judge preside
over one of two trials. The
AUSA was feisty, saying one of
the defense lawyers were
verging on being "disruptive."
She joked back, as to pushing
back a trial date, "I wish I
was that busy." Several
defendants laughed.
Ultimately, this: " Defense
counsel was ordered to submit
a letter indicating their
respective positions on a
motions schedule and other
outstanding scheduling matters
by July 15, 2025. The Court
adjourned the matter until
August 14, 2025, at 12:00 PM."
On May 21 Judge
Marrero denied a loosening of
home detention for
co-defendant Reynoso, noting
the racketeering conspiracy
(RICO) charge.
Watch this site.
The case is USA
v. Villafane, et al.,
1:21-cr-93
(Marrero)
***
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