The Syracuse Setup: Inside the Case of Nahkeen Lewis-Bush

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Start with the evidence — not the rumor.

In this episode of LFTG Radio, we speak directly with Nahkeen Lewis-Bush, calling in from Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where he is serving a 40-year sentence for a case that, according to the record, involved no victim testimony, no shot fired, and sworn affidavits clearing him of responsibility.

This conversation begins with the human reality behind the paperwork: life on state parole, sleeping in a rescue mission, scraping together money on a rainy night in Syracuse — and how a paid ride would later become the foundation of a prosecution’s theory. From there, we move deliberately into the documents that define freedom or confinement in New York State: grand jury minutes, affidavits, discovery failures, and alleged violations of the state’s speedy trial rules.

Nahkeen explains why the grand jury minutes are central to his claim of innocence, asserting they show the alleged victim never described himself as a victim and never appeared at trial — despite jurors being told he would. We examine the prosecution’s shifting theory, the absence of witness statements, and sworn affidavits from co-defendants stating Nahkeen did nothing. We also discuss plea negotiations that dropped from 15 years to 6, the pressure of trial penalties, and the unsettling reality that he has now served more time than the offer he refused.

Inside the walls, Nahkeen describes surviving through faith, prayer, and relentless self-education, while helping others navigate appeals and post-conviction relief — a reminder that in a system built on deadlines and disclosures, knowledge can move cases when institutions stall.

This is not a debate episode. It is a record-based conversation.

If justice is supposed to be the product of due process plus facts, this case raises serious questions about whether either was honored.

📄 Related reporting and source documents:

• The Syracuse Setup: What Happened to Nahkeen Lewis-Bush

• The Syracuse Setup, Part II: Inside the Paperwork the State Tried to Bury

If you care about wrongful convictions, grand jury transparency, discovery obligations, and prosecutorial accountability, this episode is required listening. Share it with someone who believes facts matter — and leave a review telling us which document or claim you want examined next.

Not for clicks — for clarity.

— Elliott Carterr, LFTG Radio

📱 TikTok: @elliott_carterr

📺 YouTube: @lftgradio

🌐 Website: LFTGRadio.com

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_07 (00:08):
All right, so I'm about to start.
Well, we recorded now, so but umjust keep your answers uh move,
you know, natural.
Uh don't don't extend youranswers, like don't elaborate
too much.

(00:28):
You don't have to overly speakon anything, you know what I'm
saying?
Don't drag anything out, just uhlet it be natural, you know what
I'm saying?
Alright, bet let's get it.
Reporting live from the gunner,it's your boy Elliot Carter here

(00:48):
with not from uh Syracuse.
What prison you in right now?

SPEAKER_03 (00:55):
I'm a Sing Sing correctional facility.

SPEAKER_07 (00:58):
And um what's what's what's going on in Sing Sing?
How they treating you in SingSing?

SPEAKER_03 (01:04):
Shh unusual.
Why you say that?
Last night one of the publisherswasn't had a situation in our
host or critical conditions.
So like the jelly's being readwhile we're hostile environment

(01:25):
right now, but I'm keeping myhead above waters and just
staying focused on the law.

SPEAKER_07 (01:30):
Yeah, definitely.
Uh do you know what whathappened with the brother from
from yesterday, the situation?

SPEAKER_03 (01:41):
Oh, it was a 10 minutes fight or 703.
Eventually he was stabbedmultiple times.
And it's a 50-50 chance rightnow.
They just said it's not what cango.
So I send condolences to hisfamily.
He comes through and make itthrough.

SPEAKER_07 (02:00):
Yeah, definitely.
He's in our prayers.
You know, much love to thebrother.
He's one of the one of the moreinfluential figures from my
city, you know what I'm saying?
So shout out to him and the andthe family.
But moving along, let's get intothis uh this let's interview
this third to set up aconversation with Nakim Lewis

(02:22):
Bush.
It's not for the same with thisfor clarity.
Today we're talking to a youngman serving 40 years for a
crime, all the evidence says hedidn't commit.
The alleged victim says he's nota victim.
The code offenders gave swornafter David's clearing him.
Nobody was shot, yet he's stillin prison.
This is a Syracuse setup.

(02:44):
Who is Nakeem Lewis Bush?
For people who don't know you,who is Nakeem Lewis Bush?

SPEAKER_03 (02:54):
The people with a little Nakim.
Nakeem is the horriculargeneration kind of a golden
heart and kindred spirit and theshadow by the Islamic Arabic.
I'm 35 years old and I'mcurrently incarcerated at Sing
Sing Correct facility.
I am being illegally detainedand wrongfully convicted for a
crime that I did not commit.

SPEAKER_07 (03:16):
Where were you mentally and physically in your
life before this case?

SPEAKER_03 (03:34):
Just trying to figure out life.
Mother being raised by mymother, like on state parole.
I was gonna rescue mission,salvation her.
I was just trying to make lifethe best of it.

SPEAKER_07 (03:52):
What did the world misunderstand about you?

SPEAKER_03 (04:01):
The world has misunderstood that I am a human
being.
And I'm a man just like anyeverybody every other person on
this earth.
I am not evil, I am not amonster, and I'm not a gang
member.
I never heard anyone in my life,never took into my life.
I never ordered anybody to doanything that I never told

(04:25):
everyone to be illegal.
I never ordered nobody to donothing.
So we'll have misunderstand thatI'm just a generous and kind
person that just like to help mypeople.

SPEAKER_07 (04:38):
Okay.
Let's get into the night inquestion.
Walk us through that night fromyour perspective.

SPEAKER_03 (04:48):
September 13th, 2017.
At the point in time, I wascurrently on state parole and I
was unemployed, so I used to dopickups, self-claim on Snapchat.
That day, it was a rainy day.
I was short on cash.
Like I said, I was living in therescue mission because my parole

(05:12):
officer did not want me to livewith my family.
And just trying to make my way.
At night I was paid to givethree young men a ride.
That's it.
That have no connections to onlysalt from around the
neighborhood.

(05:33):
From my perspective, I've donenothing wrong but give some
young people a ride that was inthe rain.

SPEAKER_06 (05:43):
Did you ever have a weapon?

SPEAKER_03 (05:46):
Never had a weapon.
At no point in time.
Did you charge a crime?

SPEAKER_07 (05:55):
Did you discharge a weapon at any point?
No, I did not.
What did the police claim youdid that you know is false?

SPEAKER_03 (06:10):
Ordered three young men allegedly killed air
cortees.

SPEAKER_07 (06:17):
When did you realize the narrative against you was
being created?

SPEAKER_03 (06:24):
From the day that they were arrested me, they put
the handcuffs on me.

SPEAKER_07 (06:31):
Your co-defendants legally admitted responsibility
and stated you did nothing.
What was your reaction to that?

SPEAKER_03 (06:42):
Exciting thing for people.

SPEAKER_06 (07:13):
Did the judge or prosecution ever consider this
evidence?

SPEAKER_03 (07:19):
No.

SPEAKER_06 (07:23):
Why not?

SPEAKER_02 (07:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 (07:37):
Do you believe the DA intentionally ignored the
truth to secure a conviction?
Yes.
Let's get into the prosecutorialmisconduct.
Did did they ever offer you anydeal?
Yes.

(07:58):
What deal were you offered?

SPEAKER_03 (08:02):
I started out at 15 years and it went down to six
years of the DM tribe.

SPEAKER_07 (08:08):
It went down to what?
Six years.
How much time you have in rightnow?
I have seven years and threemonths.
So when they offered you six,how come you didn't jump on
that?

(08:32):
Understood.
Understood.
Were you threatened with highertime if you didn't cooperate?
Yes.
Did the DA or detectives everfeed statements to the

(08:53):
witnesses?
No, because they werestatements.
There was no statements againstyou, right?
No.

SPEAKER_03 (09:04):
No statements in this case, period.

SPEAKER_07 (09:07):
Yeah, that's crazy.
That's unheard of.

SPEAKER_03 (09:16):
That the court offenders and alleged victim
submitted to the court.

SPEAKER_07 (09:22):
Yeah, the only statement was from the officer.

SPEAKER_06 (09:26):
Yes.
Okay.
Was any evidence withheld fromfrom your defense?

SPEAKER_07 (09:43):
Yes.
What evidence?
Evidence for injury minutes.

SPEAKER_06 (09:50):
What else?

SPEAKER_07 (09:56):
A thirty, thirty month speedy trial right.
They were violated, right?

SPEAKER_03 (10:04):
Yes.

SPEAKER_07 (10:06):
And how were they violated exactly?

SPEAKER_03 (10:11):
New York State Constitution, you have six
months to take somebody to trialonce the indictment is
announced.
Nine months and 24 days haveelapsed.

SPEAKER_07 (10:24):
Yeah.
That's crazy.
So that's a violation of one ofyour amendments, I believe the
fifth.

SPEAKER_03 (10:35):
And he did because they changed the theory of the
case multiple times.

SPEAKER_07 (10:41):
How did your lawyer handle that?
Did he fight?

SPEAKER_03 (10:45):
No, we did not.

SPEAKER_06 (10:49):
What did he do?

SPEAKER_03 (10:53):
According to Stephen J.
Doherty, he actually fought.
But he done nothing.
How could you prepare for mydefense if I don't have a full
discovery?
How could you fight for myfreedom when my codes should no
rights acquisitive issue to you?

(11:16):
How could you be paying for myfreedom when you know I was not
indicted at the grand jury?

SPEAKER_07 (11:26):
Yeah.
And how did you end up gettingyour grand jury minutes?

SPEAKER_03 (11:35):
Due to my lawyer, Paul Carrie Carilegal, Carissa
Leah Pearson.

SPEAKER_07 (11:43):
And how how did she give them to you?
How did how did that come about?

SPEAKER_03 (11:51):
Well, allegedly at the time of my trial, she was a
married woman.
So her husband found out and hewent to my judge and told my
judge and they fired her and gother off the case.
She got the case, she got thesame jury in from the file
cabinet that was inside of mylawyer office.
That he got her overthrew.

SPEAKER_07 (12:16):
What did her husband find out?

SPEAKER_03 (12:20):
That she was sending for money in the county jail.
And that she had a romanticrelationship going on so with
somebody that was in jail?

SPEAKER_07 (12:32):
Did they did they end up getting a divorce?

SPEAKER_03 (12:36):
Yes.

SPEAKER_07 (12:39):
Are you still in contact with her?
Sometimes time.
Did she does she still work forthe same lawyer?

SPEAKER_03 (12:54):
No.
Allegedly, my lawyer, PaulCurry, fired her due to she was
stealing money from his lawfirm, according to him.

SPEAKER_06 (13:04):
Okay.
So what does she do now?

SPEAKER_07 (13:09):
She works at a home in a home firm.
Okay.
Cool.
Cool.
You're serving 40 years.
What does a day in your lifelook like right now?

SPEAKER_03 (13:31):
Right now, this is the time of my life.
It's looking bright.
My future is looking bright andclear.
Look at Allah bringing me out ofthe dark and into the light.
And taking the pill off my eyesand everything heart.

SPEAKER_07 (13:48):
What keeps you mentally stable?
Educating myself.
And how do you keep yourselfeducated?

SPEAKER_03 (14:02):
I read nonstop all day.
I I make my salah hard timestoday.
I read the project that Allahhas passed down for me.
And I stay focused on my purposethat why Allah has created me
out of play and place me on thisearth.

SPEAKER_07 (14:24):
When your family reached out to me, what was your
message for them?

SPEAKER_02 (14:33):
We finally have someone that's gonna help us,
mom.

SPEAKER_03 (14:36):
To speak the truth.

SPEAKER_07 (14:47):
What do you want the public to understand about
wrongful convictions?

SPEAKER_03 (14:58):
I want the world to understand that wrongful
convictions is not what a lot ofpeople think.
Wrongful convictions, majorityof the times, have to do with
the system breaking the law,violating state and federal
rights.
People who didn't now committhese crimes.

(15:27):
Set yourself free.
It's easy to walk up there andso hard to get out of here.

SPEAKER_07 (15:33):
Yeah, that's a fact.
That's a fact.
If you could speak directly tothe judge, what would you say?

SPEAKER_03 (15:44):
True.
I would have made a mistake.
I'm not the kid that you thoughtI was.
I'm not a little, I'm not agangbang.
Why would you want to evict me?
Why would you send me thejustice something I didn't do?

(16:09):
How would you break the law whenyou know the law?
And you honor the judge.
How would you want these peoplesaying in the face of injustice
to serve me?
You know how to say these peopleto do that.

(16:31):
What about my family that's athome?
You gave me more time andchoose.
I never hit nobody.
And that's right.
And I'm the woman.

(17:01):
You know Air Force Heads everwent to the grand jury.
You know Air Force T was evercoming to trial.
You would simply lied to thejurors and misled them.
By telling us Air Force T wasgonna come and things didn't
come.
Why wouldn't you come at trialif you didn't go to the grand
jury?

(17:21):
Told you he's gonna come in jailfor two years away for this man
and talk.
He gave you an apple date, theones ticket that he never gave
you, he still didn't set youfree.
Why are you avoiding the truth?

SPEAKER_07 (17:39):
And I think that leads us directly into this next
question.
What's the number one thing inyour case that proves your
innocence?
The grand jury minute.
And why do you say that?

SPEAKER_03 (18:00):
The grand jury minutes because that's the solid
foundation of the case.
Without no feet, you can't haveno power, you can't have no
legs.
The grand jury minutes proves myinnocence because Eric Ortiz is
not no victim.
Eric Ortiz never ever said hewas a victim.
No one ever tried to kill him.

(18:23):
So it proves intentionally thatthey purposely lied at my trial.
By telling 12 jurors who don'tunderstand the law that Eric
will be here.
Eric is gonna testify.
But don't explain to them thatyou're lying.

SPEAKER_07 (18:49):
So what needs to happen next for you to get home?

SPEAKER_03 (18:56):
I need the right shed.
Elliot got the grand juryminutes.
Elliot got the affidavits.
I need help from some importantpowerful people in the world.
Because it's not the victim,it's not the code defendants.
It's the judge and the headdistrict attorney.

SPEAKER_07 (19:16):
Yeah.
We gotta shed some awareness andget get some powerful players
involved.
So before we close out thisinterview, what's your message
to the people?

SPEAKER_03 (19:33):
My message to the people, man.
Just want to say I still have alike um little fellows and
sisters, and peace and blessingsto all the people, the kings and
the queens of the country.
We misunderstood.
A lot of time when y'all turnthe TVs on, y'all see the little
kids in the neighborhoods, ally'all thinking is evil.

(19:56):
We misunderstood.
Nobody ever helped us.
No one ever came and tried tosave us.
No one ever came and tells us tounderstand what our problem is.
We listen to the story.
We lost we confused our world.
That's how clean is the middlecrisis.

(20:19):
Give us help.
Stop killing us.
Stop beating us.
Stop treating us like slaves.
Treat us like human beings.
Stop treating us like a dollarbill.
We're not papers.
We're humans.
Everybody deserves a secondchance at life.

(20:40):
Absolutely.
And everybody has to deal withtheir karma.
I dealt with my karma.
Anything that I've done before2017, September 13th, is because
I didn't know no better.
Today, December 12, 2025, I knowbetter.
So I do better.
My whole fight in here has beento help the people.

(21:01):
I sent 21 people home by myself.
I wrote the law by myself andfixed the law.
But I'm an animal, I'm amonster.
Police have beat me in the hairmore than I ever touched anybody
in here.
I'm just asking for help.
I'm just asking, shed light onthis case for me, please.

(21:28):
Don't want to talk to police.
The cold spinners is willing totalk to the world, they don't
want to talk to Syracuse police.

SPEAKER_02 (21:42):
I'm crying out for help.

SPEAKER_03 (21:56):
I want to go home with my family.
To a third of my time.
I pay my dues to society, I paymy dues to the game.
All I want to do at this pointin front of my life is to get
back and do the works of God.
Do what Allah has put me on thisearth to do, to get back to my
people and speak to truth andlet them put the truth.
I don't want to hurt nobody.
I want to live in peace.

SPEAKER_02 (22:19):
I can't live in peace while I'm gonna lock my
ears.
Like the enemy.

SPEAKER_03 (22:57):
I want to thank Elliot for taking time on his
day.
Plus his energy and it helpedset me free.
Anybody that's stuck with me,thank y'all.

SPEAKER_07 (23:32):
And this is not for clear for clarity.
The evidence is clearly on thetable.
The affidavits are real.
The victor himself is not avictim.
The codecendants are clearlyclear that code convicted
anyway.