bigted Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 Murder Inc. Rap Mogul Acquitted in N.Y. By DAVID CARUSO Associated Press Writer NEW YORK - A rap mogul known for his gangster persona and for producing chart-topping acts under the Murder Inc. label was acquitted Friday of federal charges alleging he laundered drug money for a notorious crack kingpin. Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher were found not guilty of money laundering at a trial closely followed by some of the music industry's biggest stars. Supporters erupted in cheers as the jury's decision was announced, and a few jurors asked to meet with the brothers to hug and congratulate them. "We did it! We did it!" Irving Lorenzo shouted as his lawyers carried him out of the courthouse. "In this case, they had it 100 percent wrong," he said. In the courtroom, supporters of Lorenzo, who goes by the name Irv Gotti, included Jay-Z, Fat Joe and Russell Simmons, along with Ja Rule and Ashanti, platinum-selling artists signed by Murder Inc. Ja Rule had labeled the case "a war against hip hop." The brothers could have faced up to 20 years in prison. In closing arguments, prosecutor Carolyn Pokorny told jurors that the Lorenzos struck an illicit deal in the late 1990s with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who she described as "one of the biggest, baddest, most dangerous drug lords in New York City." The defense countered that the brothers were victims of guilt by association. "There's nothing illegal about knowing a criminal, about socializing with a criminal, even doing business with a criminal, unless you commit a crime," said defense attorney Gerald Shargel. "Irv and Chris Lorenzo committed no crime." McGriff allegedly funneled more than $1 million in drug money, much of it from Baltimore, through Murder Inc. in return for serving as the Lorenzos' protector and enforcer. A government witness who once worked at the label testified that he saw a "huge amount" of money delivered in shopping bags and a shoe box in 2000. Prosecutors said Murder Inc. cut tens of thousands of dollars in checks for sham corporations controlled by McGriff, including a movie company that produced a straight-to-video film called "Crime Partners 2000." The label also covered his expenses as he traveled around the country masquerading as an entertainment executive, Pokorny said. The defense portrayed Irving Lorenzo as a legitimate businessman who went from rags to riches by taking the Gotti name - an ode to the late mob boss - as a sales ploy and teaming with Def Jam, a subsidiary of Universal Music, to start Murder Inc. He invested in McGriff's movie because he was an old friend from their Queens neighborhood, Shargel said. "Even if Supreme McGriff was the biggest drug dealer in the world, and even if 'Crime Partners' was the worst film in the history of American entertainment, there is nothing illegal about giving backing to a movie," he said. Murder Inc. changed its name to The Inc. last year after executives said the label's image was hurt by the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turntable Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 (edited) Not guilty...Thats good. I mean to think that we would jeopardize everything that we built, to mother****in, sell drugs and launder money? i mean are you ****in serious!? You understand, I-I mean, we-wer're a company you understand, a-a-a record company, that wants to show love to every nigga that cant get love, that cant recieve love, from, from mother****in, the corperate world, that cant go get a job, cause they been in jail, they did a 3 to 9, a mother****in, a bit or whatever the case may be they did for their time. We give these mother****ers the opportunity, we give them jobs, cause yall aint gonna give 'em the jobs, so we give it to 'em. And mother****ers wanna look at us and down us for what we do for that! They wanna call us mother****in criminals and crime family for that! Well if they wanna call us criminals and crime families, then so be it mother****er! cause these is my niggas. and if nobodies gonna stand up for my mother****in niggas, then we gon' do it ourselves, we gon' police ourselves, thats how we been gettin down nigga, holla back at me, rule. EXODUS!! Thats what ja sais about it on one if his new Tracks.. Edited December 3, 2005 by Turntable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-o-e Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 It was a stupid accusation in the start, I'm with rule 100%, they do have ex cons working for them because they can't work, so what they doing is something good, not bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3cookies Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 (edited) Murder Inc. changed its name to The Inc. last year after executives said the label's image was hurt by the case. well i guess thats good they got acquitted... but my thing from this is... so no more M U R D E R R R R R R R !!!!!! ?? haha.. If anything, screaming ^^^ that ^^ forever... hurt the labels image..., or no. I know why they did it. it gave them a golden opportunity to change it after the trial, cuz i guess they got the message ppl got tired of hearing MURDER... regardless,... they blew that 'murder' thing long b4 hand. hahaha peace, cookie Edited December 3, 2005 by 3cookies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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