A couple of additional bits of information about the April 2021 disturbance in the Federal Detention Center’s Unit 5A turned up in another short search of court records.

Chris Lee was awaiting sentencing on a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine when the fighting broke out on April 12, 2021.

The riot involved more than 30 inmates, Lee said in a complaint filed on a standard federal court “prisoner civil rights complaint” form.

“The gambling involves between 5 and 10 inmates on a poker table directly beneath 4 security cameras,” Lee stated.

Lee, now 41, said he was not associated with any gang, and like another inmate quoted in an earlier post, was watching television when he was attacked by Hispanic gang members.

According to Lee’s complaint, “the riot was primarily… Hispanic against ‘locals.'”

“It is widely known by inmates that the riot started when one “local” inmate failed to pay a gambling debt in excess of $1000 to a Paisa gang member,” according to the complaint. “It is also widely known that the poker table in question has average ‘hands’ of $200 or more. That means that over the course of an hour of active gambling, more than $5,000 is gambled at the table. That represents the maximum commissary budget per month of more than 25 inmates.”

He repeated an allegation that a counselor addressed the gambling issue during an orientation in February 2022 which was attended by more than 40 inmates. “We know you are gambling, and all we ask is that you pay your debts,” the counselor allegedly said. “Don’t come to us to get protection. You are all men, pay your debts.”

Another complaint was filed by a 31-year old man who described himself as a “shot caller” for Murder Inc., a local gang. At the time of the incident, he was awaiting trial on a charge of possessing an illegal unregistered sawed-off shotgun.

He had been written up after allegedly admitting to participating in gambling and the exchange of money via “three-way transactions.” He disputed the charge, but it provides a clue about how money is moved to pay off debts.