Hip-hop mogul pleads not guilty in B'klyn
In this photo provided by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA agents escort James Rosemond after his arrest on cocaine-dealing charges. (June 21, 2011) Credit: AP
Hip-hop mogul James Rosemond has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he ran a cocaine trafficking ring between Los Angeles and New York.
The chief executive of New York based Czar Entertainment was arraigned Wednesday in Brooklyn.
Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman says his client is being framed.
Prosecutors say the evidence includes secret recordings,
e-mails and shipping records.
He’s charged with running a criminal enterprise that shipped cocaine in music equipment cases. The indictment also charges him with money laundering and obstruction.
The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Rosemond in Manhattan last month.
Shortly before that, an Internet report attributed to a prisoner alleged Rosemond orchestrated a 1994 ambush that wounded Tupac Shakur outside a Manhattan recording studio. Rosemond denies any involvement and the criminal complaint against him makes no mention of that case.
Rosemond is behind such hits as Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop.” He also represents The Game and Sean Kingston.
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