Southern District of New York Judge Paul Crotty Decision of the Day: Counsel for Defendant Convicted of Torturing DEA Informant Was Not Ineffective
This ruling was selected and summarized by the New York Law Journal's decision editors.
August 10, 2023 at 12:38 AM
2 minute read
Originally indicted on four counts in 2020, defendant Walkin Arias Villar is serving a 120-month sentence, imposed on Sept.15, 2021, after he pleaded guilty to extortion conspiracy violating 18 USC §1951, for the violent kidnapping and torture of a DEA confidential informant.
At a April 2021 plea hearing, Villar conceded discussing the plea agreement with defense attorney Milton Florez, who answered his questions, before signing the agreement voluntarily. Asserting ineffective assistance of counsel, Villar sought to vacate, set aside, and correct sentence pursuant to 28 USC §2255.
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