US rapper Cassidy, real name Barry Reese, has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault over an incident which took place in the Spring of last year.
One Desmond Hawkins was killed in an alleyway behind Reese's home in Philadelphia on 15 Apr 2005 with guns which were apparently being stored at the rapper's home. The prosecution explained that that Reese had kept arms and ammunition at the home he shared with his girlfriend and two year old son in expectation of a shootout, but that, in fact, Desmond Hawkins had gone to Reese's home to act as a peacemaker and he was shot by mistake.
Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan told Reese that he was grossly negligent for supplying the guns that killed Hawkins, adding "you could be a leader in the community. All those guns - that's why Desmond is gone now, because of all those guns."
Cassidy, whose debut album 'Split Personality' went to number 2 in the US, was sentenced to eleven and a half to twenty three months in prison, although he has already served part of that time, being in custody since June. He told the court: "It's a tragic situation for me too. I didn't set up for this to happen. Desmond Hawkins was my friend, one of my closest friends."