Court filing — United States v. Joshua Edwards Renewed Joint (Dkt. 337, M.D. Fla.)

Summary

Renewed joint motion filed January 16, 2026 by the United States, through Gregory W. Kehoe, and defense counsel Andrew Searle and Corey Cohen to continue the trial set for January 26, 2026 to April 2026. It renews the First Motion to Continue (Doc. 322), denied at Doc. 324, where the Court said it would entertain a re-filed motion accompanied by a waiver of speedy trial. The parties state that the defendant has not signed a waiver and ask the Court to make an ends of justice finding without one. They describe emails from the "Edwards Family" with audio recordings in which the defendant asks to move the trial date, and say the defendant told the Magistrate Judge a wish to speak with family before signing any documents.

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“Court filing — United States v. Joshua Edwards Renewed Joint (Dkt. 337, M.D. Fla.).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/court-filing-united-states-v-joshua-edwards-renewed-joint-dkt-337-m-d-accb0008cb/, SHA-256 d9f17de5ded64a2f34baee367fb69f4339381bb107b8eb608b8027fea4b093cb.

Full text

Case 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP Document 337 Filed 01/16/26 Page 1 of 9 PageID 1902

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
ORLANDO DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

v. CASE NO. 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP

JOSHUA EDWARDS

RENEWED JOINT MOTION TO CONTINUE TRIAL

The United States of America, by Gregory W. Kehoe, United States Attorney

for the Middle District of Florida, and counsel for the defendant, Attorneys Andrew

Searle and Corey Cohen request that, pursuant to Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b), this Court

continue the trial in this case now set for January 26, 2026 to April 2026, and in

support of the motion state as follows:

INTRODUCTION

The parties herein renew their Motion to Continue the trial set to begin

January 26, 2026 that was previously filed at Doc. 322 (the “First Motion to

Continue”) and denied at Doc. 324 (the “Jan. 14, 2026 Order”). In the Jan. 14, 2026

Order, the Court indicated that it would entertain a re-filed motion if it were filed on

or before January 16, 2026 and accompanied by a waiver of speedy trial through the

end of April 2026. Doc. 324. As discussed herein, events have occurred since entry of

the Jan. 14, 2026 Order that require the parties to request that the Court continue the

trial to April 2026, despite the fact that the defendant has not signed a waiver of

speedy trial. Specifically, as discussed in more detail below, on January 15 and 16,
Case 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP Document 337 Filed 01/16/26 Page 2 of 9 PageID 1903

2025, the defendant expressed his desire to plead guilty and continue the trial

through April 2026. As stated on the record at the January 16, 2025 hearing on the

Joint Motion for Plea Colloquy (Doc. 323) before the United States Magistrate

Judge, defense counsel agrees that he is obliged to seek a continuance through April

2026 given the defendant’s repeated expressed desire to have the case continued in

order to resolve the case without a trial. See Doc. 334.

The issue, however, has become the written waiver of speedy trial, which the

defendant has not signed, although he has verbalized his desire to continue the trial

to April 2026. 1 The parties therefore request that the Court make an ends of justice

finding under 18 U.S.C. § 3161 and continue the trial without a written waiver of

speedy, which law from this district supports. See Young v. Secretary, Department of

Corrections, 2018 WL 1183362 *2-3 (M.D. Fla. March 7, 2018) (“Counsel may waive

speedy trial even against a defendant’s wishes”; speedy trial may be waived by a

defendant’s attorney without the necessity of securing his prior informed consent).

BACKGROUND

1. On December 7, 2022, the defendant was charged by grand jury

indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank

fraud, one count of making a false statement to a lending institution, and one count

of visa fraud. Doc. 1.

1
It should be noted that the defendant’s physical signature may hold evidentiary
value should the case go to trial.
2
Case 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP Document 337 Filed 01/16/26 Page 3 of 9 PageID 1904

2. The indictment alleges, among other things, that the defendant

submitted a materially false Paycheck Protection Program loan application on behalf

of ASLAN International Ministry, Inc. to First Home Bank. The indictment further

alleges that, as a result of such application, the defendant and his co-conspirator(s)

fraudulently received funds over $8,000,000, which were later seized by the United

States.

3. From the time of the defendant’s initial appearance in December 2022

through March 2025, competency proceedings for the defendant were ongoing,

ultimately resulting in the defendant’s restoration to competency. See Docs. 9, 14, 70,

72, 94, 97, 121, 123, 201, 209, 213, 242, 251.

4. On October 1, 2025, the undersigned AUSA and defense counsel

received an email from the “Edwards Family” which attached an audio recording

stating: “This is Joshua Edwards. I don’t want to go to trial. Please help me make

agreement to go home. I will write my name.” Over the next month, the Edwards

Family sent several other emails expressing the defendant’s desire to resolve the case

without a trial.

5. On October 14, 2025, in light of the defendant’s expressed desire to

plead guilty, the United States offered the defendant a plea agreement. However, the

defendant never signed the plea agreement. Defense counsel expressed that the

defendant was either unable or unwilling to discuss the details of the plea with

counsel.

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6. On December 16, 2025, the parties filed a Joint Status Report (Doc.

318), requesting a date certain for the last week of January 2026 or a date in

February 2026.

7. On December 17, 2025, the parties filed a Joint Motion to Continue

(Doc. 319), requesting that the Court move the trial to the February 2026 trial term if

the Court was unavailable during the last week in January 2026.

8. On January 12, 2026, the Court set the trial date certain in this case for

January 26, 2026. Doc. 321.

9. On January 13, 2026, the parties filed the First Motion to Continue, the

allegations of which are incorporated herein. Doc. 322.

10. On January 14, 2026, the parties filed a Joint Motion for Plea Colloquy

requesting that the Court set a colloquy to inquire with the defendant how he wanted

to proceed in the case. Doc. 323.

11. On January 14, 2026, the Court entered the Jan. 14, 2026 Order

denying the First Motion to Continue, but stating that the Court would entertain a

re-filed motion if it were filed on or before January 16, 2026 and accompanied by a

waiver of speedy trial through the end of April 2026. Doc. 324.

12. On January 15, 2026, the undersigned AUSA and defense counsel

began receiving emails from the Edwards Family stating that the defendant is

requesting that the Court move the trial date to April 2026 because he desires to

resolve the case through plea agreement and not a trial. Some of these emails include

attached audio recordings of the defendant asking for the trial to be moved to April
4
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2026. Relevant excerpts of these emails and recordings are set forth below:

a. An email stating, “Joshua Edwards requests that you file the
papers with the Court to move the trial date. He wants it moved
to April 2026 because Joshua wants this resolved through plea
agreement…Josh said he read and was read the papers you
gave him and wants to make an agreement and sign his name
in front of Judge…Joshua said he can and wants to resolve
through plea agreement right away.”

b. An email stating, “Attached is Joshua Edwards recording
asking you to file to move the trail date.” Attached to that email
was an audio recording of the defendant stating: “This is
Joshua Edwards. I need more time. Please move the date.”

c. An email stating, “The reason Joshua wants to move the trial
date is he instead ‘wants to make an agreement and sign his
name in front of the Judge. I want to move the trial date to
April 2026.’” Attached to that email was an audio recording of
the defendant stating: “This is Joshua Edwards, I want to make
agreement…want to sign my name in front of the judge…and
I want to move the trial date to April 2026.”

13. On January 16, 2026, defense counsel met with the defendant in person

at which time the defendant conveyed that he wanted to move the trial to April and

that he wanted to sign the plea agreement, which the parties interpret as the

defendant’s desire to ultimately resolve the case without a trial. At this meeting,

defense counsel read the plea agreement to the defendant in its entirety. Defense

counsel also presented the defendant with a written waiver of speedy trial, which

defense counsel also read to the defendant.

14. On January 16, 2026 the United States Magistrate Judge held a status

conference and, later in the day, a hearing with the defendant present. Docs. 332,

334-35. At the hearing, defense counsel explained that, while his client has expressed

5
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a desire to move the trial and resolve the case without a trial, the defendant would

not sign any documents without first speaking to his family. Prior to the status

hearing, defense counsel asked the U.S. Marshals if the defendant could call his

sister. The U.S. Marshals were willing to permit the defendant to contact his sister,

however, the defendant indicated that he preferred to contact his sister only after he

was returned to the Orange County Jail, where the defendant is currently detained.

Defense counsel also raised the possibility of the Court accepting the defendant’s oral

waiver of speedy trial, but the Magistrate Judge advised that all matters concerning

speedy trial were to be brought before the District Judge. The Magistrate Judge also

made an inquiry of the defendant, asking him if he wanted to plead guilty. The

Defendant responded by stating that he wanted to speak with his family. The status

hearing ended at this point.

15. In light of these facts, including the defendant’s repeated desire to move

the trial to April 2026 as well as the complicated history of this case, the parties

renew their motion for a continuance and request that the Court make an ends of

justice finding without the defendant’s waiver of speedy trial.

MEMORANDUM OF LAW

The parties agree that the ends of justice in continuing the trial to the February

2026 trial term would outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant in a

speedy trial. See 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A). Factors which the court must consider

include whether the failure to grant the continuance would be likely to result in a

miscarriage of justice, whether the case is so complex that it is unreasonable to
6
Case 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP Document 337 Filed 01/16/26 Page 7 of 9 PageID 1908

expect adequate preparation for trial within the time limits established by the speedy

trial statute, and whether failure to grant the continuance would deny defense

counsel the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account

the exercise of due diligence. 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(B)(1), (ii), (iv).

Here, in addition to the other reasons set forth in the First Motion to

Continue, the case should be continued to the April 2026 trial term so that the

defendant may be afforded a final opportunity to resolve the case without proceeding

to trial. As recently as the date of filing this motion, the defendant has expressed his

desire to sign a plea agreement and continue the trial to the April 2026 trial term to

allow him time to speak with his family before signing said agreement. Under the

specific circumstances of this case, the defendant requires more time than would

ordinarily be needed to resolve the case, and the parties request that the Court allow

him such time.

7
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In view of the above circumstances, the parties respectfully request this Court

make an ends of justice finding under 18 U.S.C. § 3161, continue the case for trial to

the April 2026 trial term, and set a date certain for that term.

Respectfully submitted,

GREGORY W. KEHOE
United States Attorney

By: /s/Kara M. Wick______ /s/ Andrew C. Searle
Kara M. Wick ANDREW C. SEARLE, ESQ.
Assistant United States Attorney Florida Bar No. 0116461
Florida Bar No. 0085578 SEARLE LAW P.A.
400 W. Washington Street, Suite 3100 200 East Robinson Street, Suite 1150
Orlando, Florida 32801 Orlando, Florida 32801
Telephone: (407) 648-7500 Telephone: 407-952-0642
Facsimile: (407) 648-7643 Email: andrew@searle-law.com
E-mail: kara.wick@usdoj.gov Attorney for Joshua Edwards

/s/Corey Cohen
COREY COHEN, ESQ.
Florida Bar No. 657840
21 Park Lake Street
Orlando, Florida 32803
Telephone: 407-246-0066
Email: corey@coreycohen.com
Attorney for Joshua Edwards

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Case 6:22-cr-00201-AGM-LHP Document 337 Filed 01/16/26 Page 9 of 9 PageID 1910

U.S. v. JOSHUA EDWARDS Case No. 6:22-cr-00201-WWB-LHP

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on January 16, 2026, I electronically filed the foregoing

with the Clerk of the Court by using the CM/ECF system which will send a notice of

electronic filing to the following:

Andrew Searle, Esq.
Corey Cohen, Esq.

By: /s/ Kara M. Wick
KARA M. WICK
Assistant United States Attorney
Bar No. 0085578
400 W. Washington Street, Suite 3100
Orlando, Florida 32801
Telephone: (407) 648-7500
Facsimile: (407) 648-7643
E-mail: kara.wick@usdoj.gov

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