NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Two co-defendants were reportedly detained by federal agents just five minutes before their scheduled pretrial hearing Wednesday at the Harbor Justice Center, leaving their attorneys to appear before an Orange County Superior Court judge without their clients.
The two accused were scheduled to appear before Judge Derek G. Johnson on Oct. 28, 2026, in connection with controlled substance charges filed in February 2026.
Both accused had pleaded not guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and manufacturing a controlled substance. They also denied two sentencing enhancements alleging that the controlled substance exceeded 10 kilograms by weight or 200 liters by liquid volume, each carrying a potential additional 10-year term.
When the case was called at approximately 11:30 a.m., Deputy Public Defender Erin Christoff and retained defense attorney Sabrina Darwish appeared on behalf of their clients, who were absent from the courtroom.
Christoff and Darwish informed the court that both accused had just been detained by federal agents.
Judge Johnson asked when the detentions had occurred.
“It happened like five minutes ago,” Christoff replied.
According to the courtroom account, both accused had been present since approximately 9:30 a.m., when court proceedings began.
However, neither accused was present when their case was called approximately two hours later.
The reason for the federal detentions was not disclosed during the hearing, and no additional explanation was provided on the record regarding which federal agency was involved or the legal basis for taking the accused into custody.
Judge Johnson also addressed a $250,000 bond associated with the case.
Following the attorneys’ explanation of their clients’ absence, a request was made to place the matter on hold.
Judge Johnson approved a pretrial warrant hold until Feb. 3, 2027.
The hearing concluded without further clarification regarding the federal detentions or how they would affect the accused individuals’ ability to appear in their pending state criminal case.
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