Federal prosecutors have recently accused Irving "Gotti" Lorenzo of receiving "street protection" from Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff in exchange for laundering money into Murder Inc.
Irv and his brother Chris "Gotti" Lorenzo, recently requested a separate trial from co-defendant McGriff, who is charged with ordering the 2001 killing of Queens rapper Eric "E Money Bags" Smith. The Gottis' attorneys have maintained that their clients would be discriminated against if they sat through a trial filled with testimonies on the murder in addition to McGriff's alleged involvement in a double homicide in Maryland.
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Meanwhile, Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny has just rejected the motion, stating that the Gottis looked to profit from McGriff's alleged drug money laundering into Murder Inc. Pokorny added that the Gottis had other motives.
"Indeed, far from being harmed by the McGriff enterprise's murderous reputation, the Lorenzos' alignment with McGriff afforded a level of protection," Pokorny wrote in court papers. "Would-be robbers and criminals, who extort those in the music industry, knew that if they targeted Murder Inc., its employees or executives, they would suffer retribution from the McGriff enterprise."
Pokorny claims members of McGriff's squad allegedly boasted to the Lorenzos about being violent and that the siblings "were aware of McGriff's alleged responsibility for an uncharged 1999 shooting of a prominent rap music artist." Pokorny was referring to the shooting of Queens rapper 50 Cent, who was hit nine times in front of his grandmother's house. However, the incident didn't take place in 1999, but in 2000 as reported on the rapper's web site. Past reports have linked McGriff to the shooting of 50, who is a long time rival of Murder Inc.'s flagship artist, Ja Rule.
The prosecutor is vowing to prove that Irv and Chris knew of Supreme's revenge plans against E Money Bags. McGriff faces the death penalty if convicted of the murder. Irv's lawyer couldn't immediately be reached for comment
Irv and his brother Chris "Gotti" Lorenzo, recently requested a separate trial from co-defendant McGriff, who is charged with ordering the 2001 killing of Queens rapper Eric "E Money Bags" Smith. The Gottis' attorneys have maintained that their clients would be discriminated against if they sat through a trial filled with testimonies on the murder in addition to McGriff's alleged involvement in a double homicide in Maryland.
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Meanwhile, Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny has just rejected the motion, stating that the Gottis looked to profit from McGriff's alleged drug money laundering into Murder Inc. Pokorny added that the Gottis had other motives.
"Indeed, far from being harmed by the McGriff enterprise's murderous reputation, the Lorenzos' alignment with McGriff afforded a level of protection," Pokorny wrote in court papers. "Would-be robbers and criminals, who extort those in the music industry, knew that if they targeted Murder Inc., its employees or executives, they would suffer retribution from the McGriff enterprise."
Pokorny claims members of McGriff's squad allegedly boasted to the Lorenzos about being violent and that the siblings "were aware of McGriff's alleged responsibility for an uncharged 1999 shooting of a prominent rap music artist." Pokorny was referring to the shooting of Queens rapper 50 Cent, who was hit nine times in front of his grandmother's house. However, the incident didn't take place in 1999, but in 2000 as reported on the rapper's web site. Past reports have linked McGriff to the shooting of 50, who is a long time rival of Murder Inc.'s flagship artist, Ja Rule.
The prosecutor is vowing to prove that Irv and Chris knew of Supreme's revenge plans against E Money Bags. McGriff faces the death penalty if convicted of the murder. Irv's lawyer couldn't immediately be reached for comment
