ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the application of John Jackson ("Jackson") to waive his speedy trial. Jackson also moves to continue the trial in this matter. For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is extended up to and including April 13, 2020. While the Speedy Trial Act requires that defendants be tried within seventy days of indictment, the Court specifically finds that extending this period would be in the best interest of justice....
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court are the applications of King Bob Leonard ("Leonard") and Tommy Ramirez ("Ramirez") to waive their speedy trial. Leonard and Ramirez also each move to continue the trial in this matter. Ramirez's attorney is currently involved in a trial which is expected to conflict with the scheduled trial date for this matter. For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is extended up to and including March 23, 2020. While the...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the application of Rammer Andres Guerrero-Morales ("Guerrero-Morales") to waive his speedy trial. Guerrero-Morales also moves to continue the trial in this matter. For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is extended up to and including March 9, 2020. While the Speedy Trial Act requires that defendants be tried within seventy days of indictment, the Court specifically finds that extending this period would be in...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court are the motions to suppress filed by Shawn Tyson and Natasha France. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY On January 28, 2019, the United States filed a six-count information against Shawn Tyson ("Tyson") and Natasha France ("France"). Count One charged Tyson with being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1). Counts Two and Three charged France with willful transfer, sale or transport of weapons to...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the motion of Louie Ison Mangampat to dismiss the information in this matter for violations of the Speedy Trial Act. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY On September 25, 2019, an adult female crew member of the Celebrity Equinox, a commercial cruise ship, reported being sexually assaulted by Louie Ison Mangampat ("Mangampat"). On September 27, 2019, the United States filed a criminal complaint (the "Complaint") charging...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . On December 9, 2019, the Court held a status conference in this matter. At that status conference, the Court and the parties discussed the omnibus hearing set for December 11, 2019. Rammer Andres Guerrero-Morales ("Guerrero-Morales") confirmed that he does not have any pending motions to suppress requiring resolution at that hearing. Additionally, counsel for Guerrero-Morales indicated that Guerrero-Morales waives his presence at that hearing. As...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . On November 8, 2019, this Court entered an order requiring Assistant United States Attorney George A. Massucco-LaTaif ("Attorney Massucco-LaTaif") to show cause why he should not be sanctioned pursuant to the Court's inherent authority for his behavior at a November 7, 2019, status conference in this matter. See Order, November 8, 2019, ECF No. 591. In that order, the Court briefly described the factual and procedural history of this case, before...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the motion of the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue ("VIBIR") (collectively, the "GVI") captioned "Emergency Motion to Lift Injunction." See ECF No. 98. Under Virgin Islands law — specifically, 33 V.I.C. 42 ("Section 42") — certain items imported into and manufactured in the United States Virgin Islands are subject to an excise tax, which is collected by the VIBIR. The excise...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the appeal of the United States of a January 11, 2019, release order issued by Magistrate Judge Erin Wilder-Doomes in the Middle District of Louisiana. This case commenced on September 13, 2018, when a Grand Jury sitting in the Virgin Islands returned a seven-count indictment against three defendants. Since then, the Grand Jury has returned several superseding indictments that added additional defendants and charges. On...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ, , District Judge . On August 21, 2015, this Court entered an order amending the Consent Decree in this matter. See Order, August 21, 2015, ECF No. 833. That order requires the parties to set quarterly goals that will meaningfully advance the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections ("BOC") toward achieving substantial compliance with the Consent Decree. See id. at 4. Additionally, the August 21, 2015, order set quarterly evidentiary hearings on the fourth Friday of...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the motion of Melik Petersen to exclude fingerprint evidence as a sanction for late discovery. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY On the morning of September 11, 2019, three individuals in a black Nissan Altima attempted to rob an armored car outside of the Scotiabank in Altona, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. After a brief firefight with the armored car's guards, the three individuals fled the scene in the black Nissan....
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is Attorney Alex Golubitsky's motion to withdraw as Wayne Bellille's counsel. I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY This case commenced on September 13, 2018, when the Grand Jury returned a seven-count indictment against three defendants. On November 5, 2018, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment that added Wayne Bellille ("Bellille") as an additional defendant. Since that date, the Grand Jury has returned a second, third,...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the application of Duane Woods ("Woods") to waive his speedy trial. Woods also moves to continue the trial in this matter. For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is extended up to and including February 10, 2020. While the Speedy Trial Act requires that defendants be tried within seventy days of indictment, the Court specifically finds that extending this period would be in the best interest of justice for...
ORDER GEORGE W. CANNON, JR. , Magistrate Judge . THIS MATTER is before the Court upon Defendant's Motion To Declare Scope Of Covered Property Under Plaintiffs' Insurance Policy (ECF No. 32, "Mot."). Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition to the motion on October 18, 2019 (ECF No. 36, "Opp'n."). Defendant filed a reply on November 1, 2019 (ECF No. 37). Defendant informs the Court that the parties' appraisers are at an impasse regarding whether the parties' insurance contract covers...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . Before the Court is the motion of the United States to continue the trial in this matter. For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is extended up to and including January 6, 2020. On August 1, 2019, the Grand Jury returned a four-count indictment (the "Indictment") against Freddy Antonio Montano Paz ("Paz"), Hector Hernandez Savcedo ("Savcedo"), Mariano Abregon ("Abregon"), and Calixto Tumbaco ("Tumbaco"). The Indictment charged...
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER RUTH MILLER , Magistrate Judge . Before the Court is defendant's Robert Defreitas' ex parte motion for issuance of 10 subpoenas duces tecum under Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 17(b) and (c). 1 [ECF 58]. Defreitas provides under seal draft subpoenas, directed to third parties. See, e.g. , [ECF 58-1]. The subpoenas are returnable on November 7, 2019, to the office of defendant's attorney. 2 I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Robert Defreitas was charged in...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . On April 25, 2019, a grand jury returned a Fourth Superseding Indictment in this matter. In general, the Fourth Superseding Indictment lays out a vast and wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that is alleged to have involved multiple armed robberies and multiple drug trafficking operations along with various murders, attempted murders, and assaults in furtherance of those endeavors. In sum, the Fourth Superseding Indictment charges the eleven...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . On October 15, 2019, the Court held a telephonic status conference with the parties in this matter and the Coordinating Discovery Attorney ("CDA"). At that conference, the Court addressed efforts to facilitate the Defendants' access to discovery at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, P.R. ("MDC Guaynabo"). On October 16, 2019, the United States filed a notice regarding the accessibility of the discovery in this matter at MDC Guaynabo....
NOT FOR PUBLICATION ORDER ANNE E. THOMPSON , District Judge . 1 ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, APPROVING FORM AND MANNER OF NOTICE, AND SETTING DATE FOR HEARING ON FINAL APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT WHEREAS, as of October 7, 2019, Lead Plaintiff Lei Shi and Plaintiff Ashley Saunders (collectively, "Plaintiffs"), on behalf of themselves, and all other Settlement Class Members, on the one hand, and Altisource Residential Corporation ("RESI" or the "Company"),...
ORDER CURTIS V. G MEZ , District Judge . On October 15, 2019, the Court held a telephonic status conference with the parties in this matter and the Coordinating Discovery Attorney. At that conference, the Court addressed efforts to facilitate the Defendants' access to discovery at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, P.R. ("MDC Guaynabo"). On October 16, 2019, the United States filed a notice regarding the accessibility of the discovery in this matter at MDC Guaynabo. In that...
