Docket Intel
- Judge Valerie E. Caproni let Christopher Reese change lawyers during a scheduled sentencing on Aug. 20, 2025 — but said she thinks he is “playing games.” Law360
- Reese was convicted in March of wire fraud, unauthorized practice of law in a federal enclave, false statements, and money-laundering conspiracy; he was acquitted on conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Department of Justice
- SDNY’s calendar shows Reese was set for sentencing on Aug. 20; as of publication, no new sentencing date appears on the public docket after the counsel switch. District Court
By Samuel Lopez — USA Herald
On Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, a scheduled sentencing for convicted New York “jailhouse lawyer” Christopher Reese turned into a defense-table reset. U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni allowed Reese to swap attorneys but warned on the record that she believes he is “playing games” as he heads toward a potentially long sentence.
Reese — also known as “Christopher Eugene Thomas” — was found guilty in March of running an unauthorized legal-services scheme that targeted federal inmates and their families, of making false statements to Probation, and of conspiring to launder proceeds. Prosecutors say he promised results he couldn’t deliver and charged thousands per filing, including unauthorized briefs in the Southern District of New York and the Second Circuit. Sentencing had originally been set for June 26, 2025, later pushed into August with firm briefing deadlines.
