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Feds Officially Seek Death Penalty Against Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff
The federal government is officially seeking the death penalty against Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff in his upcoming murder and racketeering case.
Prosecutor Roslynn R. Mauskopf filed a death penalty request notice yesterday (March 22) in the case, which charges McGriff with the murder of Queens, New York, rapper Eric "E Money Bags" Smith and Smith's associate, Troy Singleton.
"The defendant [McGriff] possesses a risk of future dangerousness as manifested by a continued pattern of violence, lack of remorse and contemporaneous convictions for multiple murders," Mauskopf said.
McGriff is also facing charges for a drug-related double slaying in Owings Mills, Maryland, where police found $30,000 in cash in a stash house allegedly used by McGriff.
Police also confiscated cocaine, heroin and promotional items from the Crime Partners movie that McGriff allegedly funded with help from Hip-Hop label The Inc.
Last March, prosecutors unsuccessfully attempted to combine The Inc.'s heads Irv and Chris Lorenzo's federal money laundering case with McGriff's, but a judge eventually struck the motion down.
In Dec. 2005, the Lorenzo's were eventually acquitted of laundering over $1 million of McGriff's drug proceeds through The Inc, which is home to top-selling artists Ja Rule, Ashanti and others.
The government accused McGriff of secretly owning and controlling the label, which was distributed by Island Def Jam Music Group.
"Though the feds allege 'substantial planning and premeditation' on Supreme's part in the murders of Troy Singleton and Eric 'E Money Bags' Smith it's still a shock that they are seeking the death penalty," Ethan Brown told AllHipHop.com. "In law enforcement circles, these kind of targeted killings are often regarded as less worthy of a death penalty authorization than murders in which victims are tortured or maimed."
Brown authored the best-selling book, Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler, a detailed look into McGriff's drug dealing crew, other Queens drug dealers and their connection to the Hip-Hop industry.
Last December, prosecutors announced that during McGriff's trial, they would introduce evidence that he also ordered the May 2000 shooting of 50 Cent, who used the shooting incident to help catapult himself to fame.
The introduction of 50 Cent's shooting means that the rapper may be subpoenaed to testify in court against McGriff, with whom he has publicly feuded.
McGriff is also accused of taking surveillance of E Money Bags and having the rapper gunned down in his SUV in July 2001. The government accuses McGriff of ordering E Money Bags' murder to avenge the murder of a friend, Colbert "Black Just" Johnson.
Last week, McGriff was charged with a new attempted murder, for allegedly plotting to kill a woman that was pregnant with his child because she refused to have an abortion. Prosecutors also motioned to move McGriff's impending trial to May 1.
In 50 Cent's movie Get Rich or Die Tryin', the character of "Majestic" is loosely based on McGriff.
Source: allhiphop.com
Prosecutor Roslynn R. Mauskopf filed a death penalty request notice yesterday (March 22) in the case, which charges McGriff with the murder of Queens, New York, rapper Eric "E Money Bags" Smith and Smith's associate, Troy Singleton.
"The defendant [McGriff] possesses a risk of future dangerousness as manifested by a continued pattern of violence, lack of remorse and contemporaneous convictions for multiple murders," Mauskopf said.
McGriff is also facing charges for a drug-related double slaying in Owings Mills, Maryland, where police found $30,000 in cash in a stash house allegedly used by McGriff.
Police also confiscated cocaine, heroin and promotional items from the Crime Partners movie that McGriff allegedly funded with help from Hip-Hop label The Inc.
Last March, prosecutors unsuccessfully attempted to combine The Inc.'s heads Irv and Chris Lorenzo's federal money laundering case with McGriff's, but a judge eventually struck the motion down.
In Dec. 2005, the Lorenzo's were eventually acquitted of laundering over $1 million of McGriff's drug proceeds through The Inc, which is home to top-selling artists Ja Rule, Ashanti and others.
The government accused McGriff of secretly owning and controlling the label, which was distributed by Island Def Jam Music Group.
"Though the feds allege 'substantial planning and premeditation' on Supreme's part in the murders of Troy Singleton and Eric 'E Money Bags' Smith it's still a shock that they are seeking the death penalty," Ethan Brown told AllHipHop.com. "In law enforcement circles, these kind of targeted killings are often regarded as less worthy of a death penalty authorization than murders in which victims are tortured or maimed."
Brown authored the best-selling book, Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler, a detailed look into McGriff's drug dealing crew, other Queens drug dealers and their connection to the Hip-Hop industry.
Last December, prosecutors announced that during McGriff's trial, they would introduce evidence that he also ordered the May 2000 shooting of 50 Cent, who used the shooting incident to help catapult himself to fame.
The introduction of 50 Cent's shooting means that the rapper may be subpoenaed to testify in court against McGriff, with whom he has publicly feuded.
McGriff is also accused of taking surveillance of E Money Bags and having the rapper gunned down in his SUV in July 2001. The government accuses McGriff of ordering E Money Bags' murder to avenge the murder of a friend, Colbert "Black Just" Johnson.
Last week, McGriff was charged with a new attempted murder, for allegedly plotting to kill a woman that was pregnant with his child because she refused to have an abortion. Prosecutors also motioned to move McGriff's impending trial to May 1.
In 50 Cent's movie Get Rich or Die Tryin', the character of "Majestic" is loosely based on McGriff.
Source: allhiphop.com