Hip-hop manager vows to fight federal drug charges after his arrest on Tuesday.
By Rob Markman
James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond (file)
Photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic
James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond is not backing down from the federal drug charges he's facing.
After his arrest on Tuesday, the hip-hop manager, who once counted Game as a client, pleaded not guilty to witness tampering, obstruction of justice and intentionally conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, his lawyer confirmed for MTV News.
The not guilty plea came as expected. In an interview with MTV News on Tuesday, Rosemond's attorney, Jeffery Lichtman, said his client was ready to take on the Feds. "These charges obviously aren't surprising, we've been anticipating them for years now," he said. "But they're built on the backs of people that have lied and cheated, have been threatened, have been bribed by the government. Anything to get Jimmy Rosemond, but all of this is going to be exposed. We've been waiting a long time for our day in court — we finally have it."
Rosemond has been on the lam since warrants were issued for his arrest on May 17. On Tuesday afternoon, Henchman was arrested after he led US Marshals and DEA agents on a foot chase across several Manhattan blocks before he was apprehended on 21st Street and Park Avenue South.
A complaint obtained by MTV News from the DEA revealed detailed accounts of a bi-coastal drug-trafficking operation that the government alleges Rosemond headed. The complaint was built with the help of incarcerated members of Rosemond's supposed drug-ring who are now cooperating with the government in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence.
The complaint also suggests that Henchman ran the operation, shipping cocaine and cash through express mail couriers, using his company Czar Entertainment as a front. The document is filled with transcripts of recorded phone conversations, intercepted emails and informant accounts charging that Rosemond converted drug proceeds into postal money orders in an intricate scheme to legitimize the funds.
Last week, Henchman's name came up in connection with two other crimes. Dexter Isaac, an inmate who is also believed to be cooperating with the government against Rosemond, admitted to his involvement in the 1994 Quad Studio robbery and shooting of Tupac Shakur. Isaac claims that he was paid $2,500 by Henchman to undertake the heist. As that news broke, the Smoking Gun reported that two men tied to Rosemond have been charged with the 2009 murder of known G-Unit associate Lowell "Lodi Mack" Fletcher.
Through it all, Lichtman maintains his client's innocence, pointing out that much of the government's evidence is centered on the accounts of known criminals looking to get a break. "When you got witnesses like that against you, it can make anybody paranoid and believe that they won't be getting a fair trial," Lichtman said. "When the case starts, we'll be ready to go."
Check back with MTV News for updates as this story continues to develop.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666259/jimmy-henchman-not-guilty-plea.jhtml
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