By Matthew Russell Lee,Exclusive Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 3 – Rapper Caswell Senior or Casanova along with 17 others has been charged with racketeering. Inner City Press is covering this case - including on January 2 Casanova's bail memo offering $2.5 million below.
After Casanova's surrender and detention, his retained lawyer on January 2 put together and submitted a package of co-signers: "we propose that Mr. Senior be released on a bond in the amount of $2,500,000.00 secured by the five properties and thirteen co-signors."
Now Inner City Press is publishing more from the memo: "From the memo: "the US attached 2 photos of Mr. Senior with gorilla jewelry and posing next to a painting of a gorilla. While the US claims this is relevant to an affiliation with the other members of this group, these postings are not evidence of any criminality. Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h "the US's claim that co-defendant Luster was overheard admitting that Mr. Senior has called upon him to provide protection, and its extrapolation that a reference to “hammers” refers to firearms, is likewise not evidence of membership in the alleged enterprise... Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h "Mr. Senior was at a restaurant eating. The victim was using her phone to video tape him. He asked her to stop and she refused. The video tape clearly shows that Mr. Senior did not rob this young lady... Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h "Caswell Senior is 34 years of age and was born in Brooklyn, New York where he lived with his mother and five siblings. He is a lifelong resident of New York. His father was not present during his childhood.... Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h "Mr. Senior created his first hit, “Don’t Run” which was later commercially produced and launched Mr. Senior’s career as a rap artist. In June, 2016, Mr. Senior released the official video of “Don’t Run” and was signed by JayZ’s record label Roc Nation... Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h He was "incarcerated from 2010 to mid-2013 and has spent the ensuing years pursuing music, not participating in the criminal enterprise alleged. Mr. Senior has been in a 17-year relationship with Jasmere Corbitt & has 2 children, who he has supported since birth. Inner City Press @innercitypress · 14h "The total equity in the properties being posted is $1,103,669 & the salaries of co-signors combined is $1,266,145. These individuals are placing their future & financial stability on the line with this bond, yet they do so with an abiding faith in their friend Inner City Press @innercitypress Replying to @innercitypress "It is submitted that there exist reasonable conditions of release sufficient to assure Mr. Senior’s compliance with a bond. As such, it is respectfully requested that the Court grant Mr. Senior’s pre-trial release in this matter."
More on Patreon, including the complete filing, here.
Readers may remember that the Barclays Center shooting that #6ix9ine and his co-defendants were charged with involved or targeted Casanova. Inner City Press tweeted video here.
The US Attorney's Office put in its December 3 memo, as first reported by Inner City Press: "Caswell Senior, a/k/a 'Casanova' Senior is a rapper of some notoriety. Using his public platform, he has amplified the message of the gang—both through his music and his social media profiles. For example, he appeared on a gang anthem this summer, 'Big Ape,' which has garnered over 1.8 million views on YouTube since June.
Senior has closely coordinated his artistic endeavors to benefit the gang.... In public interviews, he has admitted to stabbing inmates while incarcerated on those charges. And the Government has recovered photos from his iCloud account of several firearms, demonstrating his continued access to weapons. In addition to publicly promoting the gang and glorifying its activies, Senior is also a drug supplier for Gorilla Stone.
Through direct Instagram messages and iMessages, obtained through search warrants, the Government has learned that Senior uses gang members, including both Naya Austin and Brandon Soto, a/k/a “Stacks,” to sell drugs throughout New York. Austin, as described above, and Soto, as described directly below, are two of the gang’s most violent members and prolific drug dealers. Senior faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and—because of his prior violent felony convictions—is a Career Offender under the Guidelines.
Senior is charged in the following counts: Count One (Racketeering Conspiracy);
Count Thirteen (Narcotics Conspiracy); and
Count Fourteen (Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Conspiracy and Aiding and Abetting the Same)
Given that Kooda B / Kintea McKinzie's music videos, with red bandanas, were used against him, Inner City Press wonders what may be cited in this case.
The case is US v. Reid, et al., 20-cr-626 (Halpern).
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