Raymond Minaya, a 29-year-old gun dealer, contends that he should not face a longer prison sentence after authorities discovered a sharpened metal rod and cell phones in his cell at the notoriously violent Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Minaya’s defense claims that keeping a makeshift weapon is a necessary precaution against the jail’s documented dangers, where violent incidents have been on the rise, including recent murders.
Federal prosecutors, however, argue that Minaya’s history of violence and involvement in a gun-dealing ring, which sold over 50 firearms, demonstrate a disregard for the law. They maintain that the contraband found in his cell illustrates his ongoing criminal activity rather than a legitimate need for self-defense. As the court prepares to sentence him, Minaya could face more than 15 years in prison, significantly longer than the sentences given to other co-defendants in the case.
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