Crime and Justice
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Pras Michel and his ongoing legal issues are far from nearing a solid conclusion after the Fugees rapper and entrepreneur requested a new trial via an explosive claim. According to a new report, Pras Michel claims his former attorney used artificial intelligence in his closing argument during the trial earlier this year that ended in the Haitian-American’s conviction.
As Politico reported, Pras Michel, who was convicted in April on several charges including witness tampering, acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China, and conspiracy, alleges that his former defense team used AI to create his closing argument in that earlier trial.
From Politico:
In a withering motion filed Monday night with a federal judge in Washington, Michel’s new attorneys argued that his Los Angeles-based lawyer David Kenner relied on the fledgling technology at critical points in Michel’s trial, contributing to “prejudicial ineffective assistance of counsel.”
Kenner “used an experimental artificial intelligence (AI) program to draft the closing argument, ignoring the best arguments and conflating the charged schemes, and he then publicly boasted that the AI program ‘turned hours or days of legal work into seconds,’” Michel’s new defense team from D.C.-based ArentFox Schiff wrote. “It is now apparent that Kenner and his co-counsel appear to have had an undisclosed financial stake in the AI program, and they experimented with it during Michel’s trial so they could issue a press release afterward promoting the program — a clear conflict of interest.”
A former publicist for Michel added that Kenner allegedly admitted that “AI wrote our closing,” which former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg shared in a declaration that went with the current defense team’s motion.
Pras Michel joined his Fugees bandmates on Tuesday (October 17) for the start of a reunion tour in support of the 25th anniversary of Lauryn Hill’s acclaimed solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
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Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
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Rep. George Santos was hit with 10 new charges in addition to a series of charges he faced back in May. The new charges for the New York congressman are all felonies with statements regarding the matter going wide on Tuesday (October 10).
As reported by NPR, Rep. George Santos faces 10 charges that range from conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, and identity theft among other charges. Back in May, Santos faced a 13-count indictment. Just under a week ago, Santos’ campaign treasurer Nancy Marks pleaded guilty to felony charges and faces up to five years in prison.
The new charges were unveiled by the office of the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York where prosecutors state that Santos orchestrated a credit card fraud ploy by using credit card information from his donors list.
“As alleged, Santos is charged with stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign.” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace shared in a statement Tuesday.
More from the office of the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York:
“Santos allegedly led multiple additional fraudulent criminal schemes, lying to the American public in the process. The FBI is committed to upholding the laws of our electoral process. Anyone who attempts to violate the law as part of a political campaign will face punishment in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“The defendant – a Congressman – allegedly stole the identities of family members and used the credit card information of political contributors to fraudulently inflate his campaign coffers,” stated District Attorney Donnelly. “We thank our partners in the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI as we work together to root out public corruption on Long Island.”
Rep. George Santos still maintains his elected seat for now but is no longer assigned to any committees in the House chamber. He is due in court on October 27 after pleading not guilty previously back in May and intends to run for reelection.
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Jada Pinkett Smith and her connection to the late 2Pac has been well documented over the years dating back to their time as high school students in Baltimore, Md. After a man was arrested in connection to the murder of the popular rapper, Pinkett Smith has since spoken out.
Jada Pinkett Smith, 52, and Tupac Shakur were classmates at the Baltimore School for the Arts and she has shared previous factoids about their early days before their respective careers took off. With the arrest of Duane “Keefe D” Davis, Pinkett Smith shared a message to her followers by way of her Instagram story feed.
“Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure. R.I.P. Pac, Pinkett Smith wrote along with the image of a dove.
Just prior to the arrest of Keefe D, Pinkett Smith shared an older video of her and 2Pac dancing and lip-synching to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” track. Of course, Pinkett Smith would go on to eventually marry the Fresh Prince, better known as Will Smith, and are the parents of children Jaden and Willow Smith.
Davis offered recent testimony that pointed to his role in the shocking drive-by shooting of 2Pac in Las Vegas.
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Photo: Han Myung-Gu / Getty
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Rudy Acosta III, a former Chicago drug boss and record label chief, helped the authorities take down several key figures in a massive drug case. Because of his federal cooperation, Rudy Acosta III, known on the streets as King Rudy is essentially a free man after being given a yearlong prison sentence that will see him go free after time served.
Rudy Acosta III and his case were profiled by the Chicago Sun-Times, highlighting that Acosta was once the focus of a DEA investigation for moving large amounts of cocaine through the Chicago area via a connection with a Mexican cartel.
Acosta appeared at the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse this past Tuesday (September 19) with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Erskine speaking on his behalf and noting that Acosta was “one of the most prolific and successful cooperators with our office.”
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman handed down a sentence to Acosta of a year and one day, which would be wiped away due to time already served. The judge also told Acosta that he may be relocated to a halfway house.
Some might recall Acosta’s King Rudy nickname from his time in establishing The Legion recording label, which found its footing in the mid-2000s.
Acosta’s cooperation led to 36 people being slapped with drug and public corruption charges. One of the most notable names was the late Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval, who died in December 2020 after pleading guilty to corruption.
Acosta entered into a plea agreement, admitting to the fact that he distributed drugs across the city of Chicago while stating that he worked alongside drug suppliers out of Mexico. Over seven years, Acosta provided investigators with inside information to take down the three dozen individuals in the case.
DEA Special Agent Tom Asselborn spoke on behalf of Rudy Acosta III, saying that the former drug lord is completely rehabilitated and that he’s turned his life around.
Read the full breakdown here.
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Danelo Cavalcante, the escaped murderer who made a daring escape from a Pennsylvania prison, has been caught after a manhunt was launched to bring him back behind bars. Cavalcante was captured without incident by a massive tactical force of various law enforcement agencies, bringing to a close the chase after the convicted murderer who eluded authorities for weeks.
As reported by local outlet Fox 29, Danelo Cavalcante, 34, was found in Pottstown, Pa., a small town northwest of Philadelphia around 8 a.m. Wednesday (September 13). The manhunt for Cavalcante, a native of Brazil, began after he escaped Chester County Prison on August 31 by climbing a prison wall, then bypassing razor wire before jumping from a roof to the other side.
From the onset, Cavalcante found ways to evade the clutches of the authorities and managed to steal a van aiding in his escape. While the trail remained warm for officials seeking Cavalcante, he found ways to alter his appearance and survived by sleeping in nearby woods, breaking into homes to steal food, and even getting hold of a light firearm.
According to sources speaking to Fox 29, Cavalcante was found at a John Deere dealership in Pottstown with a .22-caliber rifle. According to the Associated Press, Cavalcante was found using thermal imaging which directed the authorities to his location. Reports say that Cavalcante was possibly bitten by a police dog in the hunt.
Earlier this year, Cavalcante was handed down a life sentence for the 2021 murder of his girlfriend, stabbing her to death in front of her children. Cavalcante was also sought by Brazilian authorities in connection to a shooting death.
On X, reactions from observers range from relief to some making light jokes about the fact that Danelo Cavalcante was caught wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey. We’ve got a handful of reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Handout/Crime Stoppers
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The family of Blac Youngsta is moving a step closer to gaining clarity on the death of the Memphis rapper’s younger brother. Memphis police have named a suspect in the case and an arrest warrant was issued earlier this week.
Local outlet Action 5 News reports that Randy Ewing is a suspect in the murder of Tomanuel Benson, who was shot and killed on August 18 in the morning hours near a South Memphis gas station. Sammie Benson is the birth name of Blac Youngsta.
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It isn’t known if Ewing and Benson were known to one another ahead of the shooting, but police have published Ewing’s photo to one of its social media accounts.
From MPD’s Facebook page:
MEMPHIS, TN – On August 18, 2023, at 9:37 a.m., officers responded to the 500 Block of South Parkway East regarding a shooting. Officers made the scene and found Tomanuel Benson with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.
During the investigation, Randy Ewing was identified as the person responsible for the homicide.
Randy Ewing is currently wanted for 2nd Degree Murder and two counts of Criminal Attempt 2nd Degree Murder.
Blac Youngsta eventually spoke about the loss of his brother, taking to his Instagram Stories feed to express his grief and added that he was going to “make the world pay.”
“I Love U My Baby Brother Rest Up,” Blac Youngsta wrote. “I’m Gone Make The World Pay. I Swear To God. Nobody Safe. Standing Over Everybody. Everybody. 4LIFE.”
Our condolences to the Benson family and Blac Youngsta.
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Lul Timm, a close associate of Quando Rando who shot and killed Chicago rapper King Von, appears to have evaded serving time for the incident. According to the attorney for Lul Timm, his charges were dropped ahead of standing before a judge for a trial.
XXL exclusively received a statement on Sunday (August 20) from Noah Pins, Timm’s attorney, who said in the correspondence that his client will not face the felony charges connected to the matter.
“The case against Mr. [Timothy] Leeks was dismissed prior to ever being indicted,” a portion of the statement reads.
Lul Timm was involved in a fight between King Von and Quando Rando’s entourage outside of the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta, Ga. A shootout in a nearby parking lot took place shortly after the skirmish, leaving a total of three persons dead in the aftermath.
Timm has been free on bond since March of 2021 but as the outlet notes, he is facing several drug and traffic-related charges dating back to last October.
Asian Doll, the partner of King Von, reacted to the news of Lul Timm’s charges being dropped, writing on social media, “Because the police said Tim ain’t kill him the police did” before deleting the message from the X platform.
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Photo: @lul_timm3 / Instagram
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Howard University, which maintains a sprawling campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., is currently on alert after a recent violent incident went wide. According to reports, a group of suspected locals beat students on campus grounds and police are investigating the matter.
As reported by local outlet WRC-TV, Howard University officials confirmed that an attack from a large group did take place on campus near two residence halls in the early morning hours of Monday (August 16). One student explained that a large group of what they described as “D.C. locals” began to attack them. Another explained that the group stomped them so badly that they thought death was near.
“I was prepared to die,” the student said. “When I was on the ground getting stomped out, I just stopped feeling the pain at one point.”
The outlet added in its report that another student was stabbed in the back and beaten by over two dozen people. According to witnesses, security guards at Howard University allegedly did nothing to help the harmed student. It hasn’t been shared what sparked the group to attack the students.
So far, campus police say that they managed to arrest one teen suspect who was found with a handgun in their possession. Marcus Lyles, executive director of public safety and chief of police at Howard University, announced a series of investigations and other actions connected to the incident. A lieutenant for the campus police was suspended after internal findings, and a security contractor is no longer working with the university.
The school shared plans to install over 1,000 cameras across cameras. In addition, the school will also establish walking paths for students that will keep them near a security officer.
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Joseline Hernandez was involved in a backstage fight with Big Lex that erupted into an all-out brawl, leading to her arrest back in June. Now, the reality television star is facing felony charges after the FLA Live fight after the Mayweather-Gotti exhibition boxing match.
Joseline Hernandez,36, was initially arrested shortly after throwing blows at Big Lex after the Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III exhibition fight at the arena in Sunrise, Fla., which too ended in a brawl. Big Lex, 26, caught the worse of the fight and her top came off as a result during the brawl. Big Lex was a former contestant on Hernandez’s show, Joseline’s Cabaret.
According to a report from local outlet WPLG, Hernandez was in Florida court on Thursday (August 3) for arraignment. She faces two felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. At one point in the video, Hernandez can be heard saying to one officer “I don’t want no white man touching me” and had some choice words for a Black Sunrise officer.
The backstage fight escalated when another person threw a drink at Hernandez, enraging her further, and footage shows she began fighting with Sunrise police officers and even knocked the bodycam off one officer. It took several officers to restrain Hernandez and eventually handcuff her.
Along with the two new felony counts, Hernandez faces battery, trespassing, and resisting an officer with violence charges. Hernadez agreed to enter a pre-trial release program but cannot leave Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties without permission from the court. She was also ordered to not own any weapons or maintain contact with Big Lex.
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The death of Tupac “2Pac” Shakur remains unsolved but a development in the case sparked an investigation that might uncover additional details. Las Vegas police say they searched a local home and also mentioned a person of interest allegedly connected to 2Pac and his tragic passing.
Local outlet KLAS reports that Las Vegas police detectives entered a home this past Monday (July 17) after presenting a search warrant in Henderson, Nev. The warrant also had a name of an individual named Duane Davis, who also goes under the alias Keffe D.
According to sources speaking to the outlet, the warrant was to obtain any information, including notes, photos, and the like, in connection to 2Pac’s 1996 shooting death. The list of items taken from the home is not known to the public.
The home in question is currently occupied by unnamed residents who reportedly told reporters to leave their property and also seemingly threatened violence after those individuals sought to seek out any information into the search and ongoing investigation.
2Pac died after he was shot on September 7 of 1996 after leaving a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand Plaza. The rapper and actor succumbed to his wounds on September 13 of the same year.
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