A former Citibank intern and Indiana University business student accused of forcing his way into a New York City woman's apartment and attempting to rape her appeared before a judge in a downtown Manhattan courtroom this week, where prosecutors revealed details of a possible plea deal. Chamberlain Nwi-ue, now 24, pleaded not guilty and remains jailed as the case drags toward its next hearing.
According to the Daily Mail, prosecutors have considered offering Nwi-ue a deal of 10 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release if he changes his plea to guilty. He has not indicated whether he plans to accept it, the outlet reported. Nwi-ue was represented at the hearing by a female attorney standing in for his regular public defender.
Prosecutors told the court they have received the result of a DNA test for potential use at trial, while the defense requested roughly an additional month and a half to review that evidence, per the same account. Judge Curtis Farber scheduled the next hearing for November 23 in Manhattan.
A Short-Lived Wall Street Internship
Nwi-ue was a rising senior at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, studying finance and law and ethics and decision making, when he traveled to New York City in 2024 for an internship at Citibank. The Indiana Daily Student reports he was terminated after just 10 days for behavioral issues, a timeline that aligns with the Daily Mail's reporting that Citibank let him go within two weeks of his start date, citing behavioral complaints. Citibank has stated that Nwi-ue was not a Citi employee when the alleged crimes occurred.
Court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail allege that on June 29, 2024, Nwi-ue followed a woman into her New York City building and forced his way into her apartment before attempting to rape her. The woman's doorman called 911 after hearing her screams, and authorities found Nwi-ue holding onto the alleged victim when police arrived. Nwi-ue allegedly told the woman, “I'm going to have sex with you,” and later told police that her eye contact had been an invitation to force his way inside, according to court documents cited by the outlet.
Two Arrests in Three Days
The Indiana Daily Student's timeline shows Nwi-ue's legal trouble began two days earlier. His first arrest came after he allegedly attacked someone on June 27, 2024, and he was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court the next day on one count of forcible touching and one count of third-degree sexual abuse. Police accused him of sticking his hand down a woman's pants and trying to forcibly kiss her in the street, and prosecutors requested a $5,000 bond in that initial case, per the Daily Mail. A judge granted Nwi-ue supervised release because he was not a permanent New York City resident.
Less than 24 hours after that release, Nwi-ue allegedly followed the second woman walking her dog in East Harlem into her apartment and forced his way inside her room, the Indiana Daily Student reported. He was arrested on one count of burglary in the second degree as a sexually motivated felony and one count of sexual abuse in the first degree. At his arraignment on June 30, a judge ordered him held on $100,000 bail, an amount the Daily Mail also cites in connection with his second arrest, and he has remained in jail since.
Additional Charges and a Not-Guilty Plea
Nwi-ue was arraigned again in New York State Supreme Court on July 22, 2024, facing additional charges of attempted rape in the first degree and burglary in the first degree as a sexually motivated felony, according to the Indiana Daily Student. At a Manhattan court appearance, the Parkchester Times reported he pleaded not guilty to burglary in the first degree as a sexually motivated felony and attempted rape. The Daily Mail's account of this week's hearing lists his charges as first-degree rape, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree burglary with intent to cause injury, and second-degree burglary motivated by sex.
Reports differ on Nwi-ue's age at the time of the 2024 arrests. The Parkchester Times described him as a 21-year-old rising senior, while the Daily Mail's 2026 report lists him as 24. The case now heads toward its November 23 hearing, with the question of whether Nwi-ue will accept the reported plea offer still unresolved.
