By Brian Bonitto—-
Dancehall artist Flippa Mafia pours a bottle of champagne during one of his performances—
MOTHER Nature halted a pretrial hearing involving flambouyant dancehall deejay Flippa Mafia at the Camden County Superior Court in New Jersey, last Thursday.
“New Jersey had a major snowstorm on March 5 and that hearing was cancelled. It has not been resheduled yet,” Peter Aseltine, press officer in the Division of Criminal Justice, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Flippa Mafia, whose given Andrew Davis, is facing conspiracy to distribute cocaine, leading a narcotics organisation, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and money laundering charges. He has been incarcerated since September 2013. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
So far, six persons involved in the case have pleaded guilty.
They are:
* James McBride — pleaded guilty to first-degree possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Sentenced on November 21 to 16 years in state prison with an eight-year period of parole ineligibility;
* Angel Rivera — pleaded guilty to first-degree possession of narcotics with intent to distribute on December 19. State will recommend sentence of 10 years in state prison with 3 1/2-year period of parole ineligibility. Sentencing scheduled for April 10.
* Juan Cortez — pleaded guilty to first-degree possession of narcotics with intent to distribute on December 19; State will recommend sentence of 8 years in state prison with two-year period of parole ineligibility. Sentencing scheduled for April 10;
* Sidonie McLeod — pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy. She was sentenced on January 16 to five years in state prison;
* Hioka Myrie — pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy. She was sentenced to three years in state prison on February 20; and,
* Ruan Rose — pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy. He was sentenced to four years in state prison on February, 13.
American defence attorney-at-law J Michael Farrell has vowed to get justice for the dancehall artist.
“It is because of his fame; we believe he was unjustly targeted,” he told the Jamaica Observer in a previous interview.
Also call the Flossing King, Flippa Mafia is known to dancehall fans for hurling hundreds of dollar notes into the crowd during his performances.
His better-known songs include Star Ah Star, Hear Mi Hear and Unfinished House.
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