People v. Santos

—Judgment unanimously affirmed. Memorandum: Defendant contends that his guilty plea was coerced because it was connected to the guilty pleas of his younger brothers and a cousin. Although connected pleas present concerns requiring special care, the record establishes that the plea was voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made; “the fact that it is linked to the prosecutor’s acceptance of a plea bargain favorable to a third person does not, by itself, make defendant’s plea illegal” (People v Fiumefreddo, 82 NY2d 536, 544). Here, defendant readily admitted his involvement in the crime and…