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There is growing speculation surrounding Christopher 'Dudus' Coke in the United States after news surfaced last week that prosecutors have filed a new sealed document with the courts.

Prosecutors gave no indication of what is contained in the document filed on June 20 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York where Dudus is to be tried on gun and drug-running charges.

"Possibly an indictment of those individuals who assisted Coke during the 10 months that the Government delayed his extradition from Jamaica," a US-based lawyer told The Sunday Gleaner.

"It could also be a product of the Department of Justice investigation into the Manatt FARA filings," the attorney said.

However, the attorney was quick to dismiss speculation that the sealed document could be a statement from the man the US authorities claim led the notorious Shower Posse.

"The US attorney could not take a cooperative statement from Coke unless he changes his plea to guilty or to nolo contendere (I do not wish to contest the charges).

Furthermore, all plea agreements are public record after being signed.

"Factual proffers made pursuant to a plea agreement cannot be filed under seal and can only be viewed by the court as part of the evidence at a Rule 35 hearing. This could be part of an appellate transcript but not a trial docket sheet," the attorney explained.

Superseding indictment

He noted that one day after the security forces moved into Tivoli in an attempt to capture Coke, an application was made to the court to unseal a superseding indictment against him.

That will replace the indictment, which was unsealed in August 29 and used by the US as part of its request to the Jamaican Government for the extradition of the west Kingston strongman.

"This is not going away, no matter what the spin doctors in Jamaica try," the US-based attorney said.

Coke remains in custody in a US jail facing charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute firearms.

He is to return to court in September but to date, the only attorney on record for the alleged drug kingpin is the state-appointed Russell Neufeld.