NEW YORK — A 41-year-old Queens man spent almost five months locked up on Rikers Island after a shocking clerical error left him unaware that his bail had been reduced to just $2.
According to court records, Aitabdel Salem was arrested in November 2014 for allegedly stealing a winter coat and assaulting a police officer. At the time, his bail was set at $25,000, keeping him behind bars while awaiting trial.
The Mix-Up That Cost Months of Freedom
When prosecutors later dropped the assault charge, Salem was left facing only two minor misdemeanors — tampering and mischief — each carrying a $1 bail. That meant he could have walked free for less than the cost of a cup of coffee.
But no one told him…