CHARLOTTE — The attorney for an alleged gang member charged with orchestrating two murders from jail says she wants all of the confidential letters that FBI agents took from his cell.
Jamell Cureton's attorney says prosecutors still have some of the letters agents seized back in January, and she is asking a judge to dismiss the charges against him.
However, emails between her and the prosecutor reveal that the U.S. Attorney's Office had a separate team of agents seize the materials and a different prosecutor review them.
Read our past coverage:
- Man accused of ordering Lake Wylie couple's killings pleads not guilty
- Bond denied for 5 alleged gang members tied to Lake Wylie killings
- Officials: Accused gang member ordered killing of couple from jail
- Deputies: Couple found shot to death at Lake Wylie home
- Brothers plead not guilty in mattress store robbery
Channel 9’s legal expert says that it's very unlikely a judge would dismiss the charges.
“It's really not realistic to ask that the charges be dismissed,” attorney Tony Scheer says.
He says prosecutors may have sidestepped that issue when they got a team of agents who were not involved in the gang investigation to search Cureton's cell.
In an email to Cureton’s attorney, Chiege Okwara, two weeks after the search, lead prosecutor Beth Greene said agents were specifically told not to review materials in his cell.
She also said that all of the attorney-client material was removed and never reviewed by the agents or by her. Scheer says that may insulate them from any sanctions.
“What the government is talking about here is a process which is not by any means wrong on its face. They may very well be within their rights to do what they've done,” Scheer said.
A judge is set to hear the case in federal court on May 13.
Timeline of events:
- Apr. 22, 2015: FBI raids Charlotte cell of United Blood Nation, arrests seven gang members on variety of charges. Four of those arrested are charged in Connection with murder of Londons.
- Jan. 30, 2015:Police said that Malcolm Jerrel Hartley, 22, and Brianna Johnson, 18, are arrested in connection with the double homicide investigation of the Londons.
- Dec. 2, 2014: Cureton and Adoma plead not guilty in the armed robbery case, officials said. David Fudge, who drove the getaway car, was sentenced to probation after his guilty plea earlier in the year.
- Oct. 30, 2014:Federal prosecutors take over the armed robbery case that accuses Jamell Cureton and Nana Adoma of robbing the Londons' mattress store.
- Oct. 23, 2014: Doug and Debbie London are found shot to death in their Lake Wylie home.
- May 25, 2014:Two men rob the Wholesale Mattress Warehouse on South Boulevard owned by Doug and Debbie London. One of the robbers and Doug London exchange gun fire, police said.