| Man
Pled Guilty to
Stealing COVID
Checks US
Wants 12 to 16
Month
Sentencing
Guideline
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Nov 22 –
Leuris Lanuel
Sabala-Mejia
was charged
with stealing
US government
funds - COVID
relief and tax
refund checks
- and
aggravated
identity
theft.
On
December 21,
2022, U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York
Judge Mary Kay
Vyskocil held
a change of
plea
proceeding.
Inner City
Press went and
covered
it.
The
US Attorney's
Office agreed
to drop the
aggravated ID
theft count,
which carries
a mandatory
consecutive
two year
sentence; its
plea agreement
anticipates a
guideline
sentence of 12
to 18 months,
with two
criminal
history points
to be
subtracted for
acceptance of
responsibility.
Judge Vyskocil
asked why not
a third point,
for
timeliness.
The response
was that only
applies to
sentences of
16 months and
up. She
thanked the
AUSA and
defense
counsel for
their
answers.
The defendant
described
stealing and
cashing
checks. Judge
Vyskocil
accepted his
guilty plea,
and set
sentencing for
May 1 at
noon.
But it
didn't happen
then. In
fact, on
November 22,
2023 the US
put in its
sentencing
letter, asking
for the 12 to
18 months.
The
case is US v.
Sabala-Mejia,
21-cr-225
(Vyskocil)
***
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