More discussions of text messages and the 2000 50 Cent shooting at the ongoing Murder Inc trial yesterday.
As previously reported, Murder Inc bosses Irv and Chris Lorenzo "Gotti" stand accused of using their then Universal affiliated label to launder money for notorious drug dealer Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff. The 50 Cent incident is relevant because the prosecution claim McGriff arranging the shooting for Irv Lorenzo, who was pissed off that Fiddy had dissed him in a rap. McGriff did that, the prosecution say, as a thank you for all those money laundering services. The Lorenzo defence maintain that the 50 Cent shooting is completely irrelevant to this case.
In a busy day of accusations and counter-accusations, the following claims were made at the trial:
- The prosecution presented a series of text messages allegedly sent by the Lorenzos around the time of the 50 Cent incident which, they claim, implicate the brothers as being involved in the shooting. One went to Murder Inc artist Black Child urging him to get in touch with the label - the prosecution said that Black Child had previously stabbed 50 Cent, and the Lorenzo's wanted him briefed on the Fiddy shooting knowing he'd be a suspect. Another text message was sent by Irv Lorenzo to his wife assuring her she was safe. Why, the prosecution ask, is Lorenzo's wife safety in doubt if the brothers weren't somehow involved in the shooting.
- The defence hit back by cross-examining John Ragin, a former McGriff associate who, as we reported yesterday, claims that the drug dealer funded his straight-to-DVD movie 'Crime Partners' using drug proceeds. Crucially, he has also claimed that he knew McGriff gave money to Murder Inc. However, the defence told the court yesterday that Ragin admitted he had no direct knowledge of this - rather he had only "heard" that McGriff passed cash to the label.
- The prosecution then called a special agent for American's inland revenue, who was part of the team who raided Murder Incs' offices in January 2003. He said he had see accounts sheets that indicated McGriff would receive a payment of $100,000, although he owed the label $35,000. What, the prosecution asked, were those payments referring to?
- Finally, the prosecution returned to the credibility of Donell Nichols, their last minute witness who claims to have first hand knowledge of the financial dealings between Murder Inc and McGriff. The defence have been portraying Nichols, who worked with the Lorenzo's for a while, as an unreliable witness who is known for lying about his status at the label. In particular, the Lorenzos deny Nichols' claims that he was once an A&R chief for the record label. But why then, the prosecution asked yesterday, did Chris Lorenzo and Nicholls appear as a partnership in a list of the top 20 A&R representatives in the US music business?
And so the case continued.