The uncle of Jordan Neely, whose death by strangulation on the subway sparked an outcry, appeared in court for wearing a switchblade and handling stolen credit cards.
Christopher Neely, 44, was escorted in handcuffs to his appearance in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday after being arrested on Monday while trying to flee from the NYPD pickpocketing squad.
The career con man, who has a long rap sheet like his late nephew, was hit with four felonies including possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, bail jumping and unlawful possession of a armed. He was also charged with eight misdemeanors.
His impeachment comes days after he asked officials not to grant a plea to Daniel Penny, the ex-marine who smothered his 30-year-old nephew, whose death sparked a fierce debate over the self-defense and homelessness in the Big Apple.
“He needs to be prosecuted or he’ll do it again,” Neely told the New York Post on Sunday. “This is a blow to Jordan’s family and the people of New York.”
Christopher Neely, 44, was escorted in handcuffs to his appearance in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday after being arrested on Monday while trying to flee from the NYPD pickpocketing squad
Penny, 24, turned himself in after the district attorney’s office announced he would be charged with second-degree manslaughter. He recently said that “it’s tragic what happened to [Neely]’ but would act the same in a similar situation
On Monday, Neely was arrested near the Port Authority bus station near Manhattan’s Garment District. He was spotted by cops who recognized him as a known thief, sources told the New York Daily News.
He jumped the turnstile before being chased and caught by an officer around 11:35 p.m.
Neely was allegedly armed with a gravity knife and was carrying several bank cards in other people’s names.
He has two dozen previous convictions, including for rape, robbery and burglary. He was also wanted on an outstanding grand larceny charge – which had breached his probation in an earlier case.
His nephew Jordan’s funeral was held in Harlem last Friday, where the Reverend Al Sharpton eulogized the homeless schizophrenic.
Liberal politicians attended, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who claimed Jordan Neely had been “murdered”.
Neely, who has previous convictions for brutal assaults on subway passengers, was restrained by Penny after he allegedly threatened people in the carriage.
Penny put Neely in a chokehold on the F train at Broadway-Lafayette Street and Bleecker Street station on May 1.
The former Marine has since been charged with second-degree manslaughter and released on $100,000 bail following furious protests and accusations of racism.
Penny broke her silence on Saturday to say Neely’s death had nothing to do with race, saying he did what he believed was right and would behave the same if he did. found himself in the same situation again.
‘I mean, it’s, it’s kind of comedic. Anyone who’s ever met me can tell you, I love everyone, I love every culture,’ Penny told the Post.
‘You can tell by my background and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened.
“I’m a normal guy,” Penny added, insisting he’s not a vigilante.
Neely leaves after being arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday
Neely enters court with his hands cuffed behind his back on Wednesday
Handcuffed Christopher Neely is escorted by an officer inside Manhattan Criminal Court
Neely with a mask around his chin is escorted to Manhattan Criminal Court
Penny, who is from Long Island, faces 15 years in prison in a case that has been highly polarizing, with conservative politicians jumping to his defense and prominent liberals calling for him to be convicted of murder and jailed.
A fund to pay for his legal defense had reached approximately $3 million.
Penny said he doesn’t watch the news and while he’s aware of negative opinions about him, he tries not to let them affect him.
“If you’re facing all these challenges, you have to stay calm,” he said.
‘What’s the point of worrying about something, worrying isn’t going to make your problems go away.
“I attribute that to my father and my grandfather. They are very very stoic.
Penny also said he quit social media years ago.
“I’m nobody and I don’t have social media because I really don’t like attention and I just think there are better ways to spend your time.” I don’t like the limelight,” he said.
On May 1, Penny put Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway. Neely had threatened the passengers
Pallbearers carry Jordan Neely’s coffin days before his uncle says Penny shouldn’t get a plea deal in the case
Neely had a long rap sheet for crimes on the subway, including vicious assaults on other passengers.
In 2021, Neely attacked an elderly woman as she left Bowery Station in the East Village. She suffered a broken nose, a fractured orbital bone and “bruising, swelling and significant pain in the back of her head” during the Nov. 12 attack, according to a criminal complaint.
He admitted to being assaulted on February 9 in exchange for a 15-month alternative program to incarceration, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
He was supposed to stay in a treatment center and stay sober.
Between January 2020 and August 2021, he was arrested for public obscenity after pulling down his pants and exposing himself to a woman, misdemeanor assault for punching a woman in the face, and criminal contempt for violating a restraining order.
All three cases were dismissed as part of his Feb. 9 plea deal, according to Fox News.
In June 2019, Neely assaulted Filemon Castillo Baltazar, 68, on the platform of the W. 4th St. station in Greenwich Village, according to court records.
“Out of nowhere, he punched me in the face,” the victim told the New York Daily News. He said he saw Neely before the attack rummaging through trash cans for food.
A month earlier, Neely punched a man in the face, breaking his nose on the Broadway-Lafayette platform – the same subway station where he died.
For both 2019 cases, he pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to six months in prison.
