Crime and Punishment
PnB Rock Teen Murder Suspect Arrested, Suspect Father Still Loose
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: LAPD / LAPD It has been a little over two weeks since the murder of PnB Rock, born Rakim Allen, in a Los Angeles restaurant. More details are starting to come to light, and the police have identified a suspect and arrested the alleged shooter. On Wednesday morning (Sept. 28), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced Freddie Lee Trone as someone involved in the shooting, robbery and murder of PnB Rock. Since, and according to TMZ, the LAPD has arrested the shooter, a teen identified as Trone’s son. Related Stories The rapper was gunned down in a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles on Monday, September 12. Reportedly, the shooter removed several of the rapper’s chains before fleeing. The shooter also “demanded property” from PnB’s girlfriend who was di...
Mystikal Pleads Not Guilty To Latest Rape Charge
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Stephen J. Cohen / Getty Mystikal has pleaded not guilty to his latest rape charge and his legal team is defiantly stating that their client is innocent. If convicted, the artist born Michael Lawrence Tyler could face up to life in prison. According to local outlet WBRZ, Mystikal, 51, pleaded not guilty on Monday (Sept. 19) after charges of rape, assault, and drug possession were levied against him. The alleged incident took place at the veteran rapper’s home in Ascension Parish near Baton Rouge, La. Related Stories “My client is innocent of all charges,” attorney Joel Pearce said in a text message last week to the outlet. Pearce has been firm in stating that his client will be vindicated once he has his day in court. The attorney also aims to present evi...
Mystikal Faces Prison In Life After First-Degree Rape Indictment
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Stephen J. Cohen / Getty Mystikal, having endured similar charges and serving time in the past, faces up to life in prison after a first-degree rape indictment was handed down. The charge is tied to an alleged July 30 incident at the Louisiana rapper’s home and other charges were levied as well. Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, was indicted by an Ascension Parish grand jury this past Tuesday and the 51-year-old veteran rapper remains in the Ascension Parish Prison according to a report from the New Orleans Advocate. Mystikal’s previous attorney shot down the allegations but he has since retained new counsel in Joel Pearce, who represented the rapper in 2017 in another rape case that Mystikal served 18 months in prison over. Related Sto...
Journalist Jim DeRogatis Fighting Subpoena To Testify At R. Kelly Trial
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jim Derogatis / Jim Derogatis A music writer who has spent years sounding the alarm about sexual misconduct committed by R. Kelly is reportedly fighting an attempt to force him to testify at the singer’s current trial. According to reports, attorneys working on behalf of the Jim DeRogatis have submitted a request to U.S. District Judge Harry Lienenweber to shut down a subpoena sent to their client to testify at the disgraced singer’s federal trial. In the filing that was revealed on Tuesday (September 6th), the lawyers claim that the subpoena is an attempt to “put his newsgathering on trial.” The subpoena was issued by lawyers for Kelly’s co-defendant and former business manager, Derrel McDavid last month. “Virtually all knowledge that DeRogatis...
Bye 12: Ex-NYPD Cop Gets Longest Jail Sentence For Jan. 6 Rioter To Date
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: The Washington Post / Getty A former New York Police Department officer who was caught on video assaulting a Capitol Police officer during the January 6th insurrection just received the longest prison sentence for any rioter to this point. Thomas Webster appeared before Judge Amit P. Mehta in a federal courtroom on Thursday afternoon (September 1st) to receive sentencing for his assault of a member of the U.S. Capitol Police as thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump rioted and stormed the building on January 6th, 2021. He was given a sentence of ten years in prison – the longest sentence for any insurrectionist to this point. Webster had previously claimed that he attacked the officer in self-defense, a claim disproven when jurors were s...
Atlanta DA Indicts 26 Alleged Gang Members After Crimes Against Celebs
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Megan Varner / Getty District Attorney Fani Willis has announced that her office is bringing formal RICO charges against the “Drug Rich Gang.” 26 people were arrested this week with many of the alleged incidents related to crimes against well-known celebrities in the city. “If you thought Fulton was a good county to bring your crime to, to bring your violence to, you are wrong and you are going to suffer consequences,” Willis said at the press conference, according to 11 Alive News. “And today is the start of some of those consequences.” The DA’s office said that the crew would often target celebrities or people who flaunted their wealth on social media. “So I do have a message for the public where it is kind of fun to put your things on social medi...
Going Once…: Zadeh Kicks’ Confiscated Sneakers Getting Auctioned By The U.S. Government
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Nike / NIke A few weeks ago now infamous sneaker reseller Michael Malekzadeh a.k.a Zadeh Kicks was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and money laundering after jerking many sneakerheads out of millions of dollars. Now his own personal collection is up for auction courtesy of the U.S. Government. According to Fortune, more than 60,000 pairs of sneakers that Malekzadeh held at a warehouse have hit the auction block in an attempt to recoup some of the $70 million that the reseller had swindled out of countless customers who pre-ordered sneakers that he couldn’t have possibly obtained. Of the tens of thousands of sneakers that the government is reselling (LOL), 1,100 pairs are from Malekzadeh’s own personal collection and have an estim...
Fetty Wap Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking, Faces Five Years In Jail
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty New Jersey rapper Fetty Wap is poised to go to prison for five years after pleading guilty to his involvement in a major drug trafficking enterprise in court. According to reports, Willie Junior Maxwell II aka Fetty Wap pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances in a Central Islip, New York courtroom on Monday (August 22nd). The charge carries a mandatory prison sentence of five years, but federal sentencing guidelines have the potential to add another two years to that. The plea was heard by U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Locke, who had previously revoked the rapper’s $500,000 bond and sent him to jail two weeks beforehand. This resulted from him violating his pretrial release guidelines by threatening...
Oh Sh*t: ‘Black Ink Crew’ Star Richard Duncan Arrested for DUI, Alcohol and Coke
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: TMZ / TMZ Richard Duncan aka O’Sh*t of Black Ink Crew fame was arrested for all the drugs. The reality star and tattoo artist recently got popped for DUI, alcohol and cocaine. The familiar face to Black Ink Crew fans, although he hasn’t been a regular for years, got pinched back in July. Reports TMZ: Related Stories The former reality TV star was busted for DUI in July after cops in Georgia say they stopped him for speeding. According to the incident report, obtained by TMZ, Richard was pulled over for speeding. Cops say they smelled alcohol and did a field sobriety test. And that’s when Richard entered into all the struggle. Not only did he cop to drinking after the jig was up, but cops also say they found a bag of cocaine in his car’s cupholder. R...
New Trump Attorney Drew Findling Represented Several Atlanta Rappers, Criticized Former President
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prince Williams / Getty Drew Findling—a criminal attorney has signed on to represent former President Donald Trump in the probe related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Findling is known as the #BillionDollarLawyer and has represented a number of other high-profile clients including Atlanta rappers—Gucci Mane, Migos, and Cardi B. Related Stories According to The New York Times, Findling has a lot of experience in criminal defense and taking on the disgraced two-time impeached former president signals the seriousness of the investigation. “I am a passionate advocate against injustice and will not deny that; however, where I see a misuse and abuse of power I feel compelled to act,” Findling said in a statement to Insider. “I ...
Trapboy Freddy Popped on Weapons Charge, Cops Take His Tiger Cub
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: @trapboyfreddy / Instagram Trapboy Freddy is in contention for the wildest arrest of 2022. The Texas rapper was popped for weapons charges, and while getting pinched the authorities also seized his pet tiger. Yeah, Trapboy Freddy has a whole wild animal, an apex predator, as a pet. Reports TMZ Hip Hop: Officials say they discovered a tiger cub Wednesday caged inside Freddy’s Oak Cliff house. Officials seized the cat, but at this time, he hasn’t been charged with anything in relation to having the animal. The Dallas rapper was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and is due to appear in court on Friday. As for the tiger, it was transported it to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The tiger made an appearance on Fre...
Victim Says She & R. Kelly Had Sex “Uncountable Times” While Underage
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty A Chicago, Illinois woman testified in court that she and disgraced entertainer R.Kelly had sexual encounters numerous times before she was 18 years old. According to reports, the 37-year-old woman testifying under the name of Jane Doe made those statements during Kelly’s second federal trial on Thursday (August 18). She is the key witness for the prosecution in these proceedings. The lawyers stated that they would play pieces of recordings that Kelly made of him engaging her in sexual acts when she was only 15. It was the same recording that was used as evidence in the infamous 2008 trial where the singer was charged with child pornography, after which he was acquitted partially because Jane was too young to testify at the time. L...
