But even after it became clear that Mr. Chen had unwanted guests in his home, the defendants managed to remain there for several days, despite what Mr. Chen said were repeated visits from the police. According to prosecutors, the occupants showed Mr. Chen and the police lease agreements — documents that Mr. Chen insists were fabricated. The name of the supposed leaseholder was Raymond Kelly, who the occupants claimed had sublet the building to them.

Mr. Chen added that Mr. Council had ordered him to pay a “nonnegotiable” fee of $6,000 to Mr. Council and several of his co-defendants in exchange for their vacating the premises.

Mr. Council faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, while four of the other defendants, Andrea Furlonge, 21, of Ozone Park, and Junior C. Goldring, 23, Omari A. Millington, 21, and Renardo Williams, 22, each from Brooklyn, face sentences of up to 25 years. A fifth defendant, Roy McMillan, 24, of Brooklyn, faces up to 15 years in prison.

Laura Ibarra, 39, who lives with her husband and three young children in the building adjacent to Mr. Chen’s, said one of the defendants had offered to sell marijuana to her brother-in-law. She said other neighbors had complained that the tenants had been loud and “had parties all the time,” but, she added of the charges, “You didn’t think it was going to be like that.”

“You thought it was normal because they were new people,” Ms. Ibarra said, adding that the defendants “were nice guys” who “didn’t seem to be nasty.”

But, she added, she was happy to have been reassured by Mr. Chen on Wednesday that “these bad men are gone.”

The charges also surprised and disturbed Carmella D’Agostino, 68, who has lived all her life across 101st Avenue from the home. She had a different picture of the defendants.

“Boy oh boy were they bad!” she said of Mr. Council and his co-defendants, adding that they had “kept to themselves” until their arrests several weeks ago.

“They looked nightmarish,” said Ms. D’Agostino, who had witnessed the arrests.

A lawyer for Mr. Council could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening. He and the other defendants are scheduled to return to court on May 1.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/nyregion/6-charged-in-queens-kidnapping-and-rape.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

 

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if only there was cheap public education for fallen daemon.