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Feds Outline Case Against The Inc.
As the impending Oct. 17 money laundering and racketeering trial looms over The Inc (formerly The Inc.) and the Gotti brothers (Irv and Chris Lorenzo), the Federal government slowly begins to reveal its case against the once powerful label.
In response to a motion by the Gotti brothers’ lawyer to declare the search of Irv's offices unconstitutional, the Federal government filed a 50-page memorandum in opposition to suppress the evidence.
The memorandum outlines for the very first time, the case against Irv and Chris Gotti in great detail.
The document was submitted to the US District Court after Gerald Lefcourt, attorney for Irv Gotti, filed a motion to declare the search of Irv's offices unconstitutional.
Lefcourt also sought to discredit affidavits from IRS criminal agent Francis Mace who claimed the label was funded by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and that Supreme and Irv put chart topping rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson under surveillance.
Filed on September 26 by US District Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf, the document contends that the defendants’ motions are meritless and should be denied without a hearing based on the fact that there is no basis to suppress the text pager records, which were obtained with a search warrant.
The memorandum also addresses the issue of claims by Francis Mace by documenting that “any alleged inaccuracies were not material to the finding of probable cause, given that the defendants did not dispute that probable cause existed to search for evidence of the McGriff’s use of false identification documents to travel, which Murder, Inc. arranged for and paid.”
Further, the memorandum also states that, “the defendants have no standing to suppress a search of a storage office containing bookkeeping records that agents learned of through bookkeeper Cynthia Brent.”
Cynthia Brent, The Inc.'s former bookkeeper, was also indicted and charged with laundering over $1 million in drug money and structuring cash to avoid federal reporting conditions.
Brent pleaded guilty on September 21 and as part of her plea bargain; she revealed how she structured financial transactions to avoid currency reporting requirements - breaking down cash deposits for the label in amounts less than $10,000 so the bank wouldn't report them.
The memorandum also provides a first-hand look into the secret world of Murder Inc and their ties to McGriff.
While the Gotti brothers asserted that McGriff played an insignificant role in Murda Inc., the Federal documents painted a very different picture and revealed that he had a noteworthy yet largely secret position at Murder, Inc.
A review of the documents shows that:
* In 2001, McGriff told arresting officers on the 2001 state gun charge that he worked for Def Jam.
* Text messages reflected that McGriff regularly was present at the offices of Murder, Inc., and that he instructed his associates to call him there.
*Text messages and subpoenaed records proved that Murder, Inc. employees made travel arrangements, including flight and hotel accommodations, for McGriff using aliases, and that Murder, Inc. paid for these trips.
* Text messages showed that McGriff had reviewed business contracts on behalf of Murder, Inc. rap artist Ja Rule.
In addition to the money laundering and racketeering charges, the Gotti brothers are also the subject of a federal investigation into the beating death of a New York drug dealer.
As AllHipHop.com reported earlier this year, the Federal government is investigating the 1993 beating of a man named Anthony Sylvester, who was beaten with a two-by-four “embedded with nails.”
Sylvester’s body was dumped in a vacant lot in Manhattan. He survived his wounds, but was comatose for eight months.
Sylvester survived ten years with 24-hour medical attention and succumbed to his wounds in October of 2003.
The Inc. became the subject of Federal investigation when it was alleged that the successful music label was bankrolled McGriff, a notorious drug dealer who also allegedly involved in the shooting of hip-hop superstar 50 Cent.
McGriff, a longtime friend Irv Gotti, allegedly provided proceeds from drug trafficking in New York and Maryland as "start-up money" for the powerhouse music label, which is home to Ja Rule and Grammy Award winner Ashanti.
The Federal trial is set to begin on Oct. 17.
Source: allhiphop.com
In response to a motion by the Gotti brothers’ lawyer to declare the search of Irv's offices unconstitutional, the Federal government filed a 50-page memorandum in opposition to suppress the evidence.
The memorandum outlines for the very first time, the case against Irv and Chris Gotti in great detail.
The document was submitted to the US District Court after Gerald Lefcourt, attorney for Irv Gotti, filed a motion to declare the search of Irv's offices unconstitutional.
Lefcourt also sought to discredit affidavits from IRS criminal agent Francis Mace who claimed the label was funded by Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and that Supreme and Irv put chart topping rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson under surveillance.
Filed on September 26 by US District Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf, the document contends that the defendants’ motions are meritless and should be denied without a hearing based on the fact that there is no basis to suppress the text pager records, which were obtained with a search warrant.
The memorandum also addresses the issue of claims by Francis Mace by documenting that “any alleged inaccuracies were not material to the finding of probable cause, given that the defendants did not dispute that probable cause existed to search for evidence of the McGriff’s use of false identification documents to travel, which Murder, Inc. arranged for and paid.”
Further, the memorandum also states that, “the defendants have no standing to suppress a search of a storage office containing bookkeeping records that agents learned of through bookkeeper Cynthia Brent.”
Cynthia Brent, The Inc.'s former bookkeeper, was also indicted and charged with laundering over $1 million in drug money and structuring cash to avoid federal reporting conditions.
Brent pleaded guilty on September 21 and as part of her plea bargain; she revealed how she structured financial transactions to avoid currency reporting requirements - breaking down cash deposits for the label in amounts less than $10,000 so the bank wouldn't report them.
The memorandum also provides a first-hand look into the secret world of Murder Inc and their ties to McGriff.
While the Gotti brothers asserted that McGriff played an insignificant role in Murda Inc., the Federal documents painted a very different picture and revealed that he had a noteworthy yet largely secret position at Murder, Inc.
A review of the documents shows that:
* In 2001, McGriff told arresting officers on the 2001 state gun charge that he worked for Def Jam.
* Text messages reflected that McGriff regularly was present at the offices of Murder, Inc., and that he instructed his associates to call him there.
*Text messages and subpoenaed records proved that Murder, Inc. employees made travel arrangements, including flight and hotel accommodations, for McGriff using aliases, and that Murder, Inc. paid for these trips.
* Text messages showed that McGriff had reviewed business contracts on behalf of Murder, Inc. rap artist Ja Rule.
In addition to the money laundering and racketeering charges, the Gotti brothers are also the subject of a federal investigation into the beating death of a New York drug dealer.
As AllHipHop.com reported earlier this year, the Federal government is investigating the 1993 beating of a man named Anthony Sylvester, who was beaten with a two-by-four “embedded with nails.”
Sylvester’s body was dumped in a vacant lot in Manhattan. He survived his wounds, but was comatose for eight months.
Sylvester survived ten years with 24-hour medical attention and succumbed to his wounds in October of 2003.
The Inc. became the subject of Federal investigation when it was alleged that the successful music label was bankrolled McGriff, a notorious drug dealer who also allegedly involved in the shooting of hip-hop superstar 50 Cent.
McGriff, a longtime friend Irv Gotti, allegedly provided proceeds from drug trafficking in New York and Maryland as "start-up money" for the powerhouse music label, which is home to Ja Rule and Grammy Award winner Ashanti.
The Federal trial is set to begin on Oct. 17.
Source: allhiphop.com