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Lil' Kim Convicted of Big Lie
03/17/2005 5:41 PM, E! Online
Josh Grossberg
Lil' Kim, in trouble for a lotta lying, could be heading to the Big
House real soon.
The pint-size rap diva was convicted Thursday
of federal perjury charges for fibbing to a grand jury about a 2001
shootout in front of a Manhattan radio station involving members of her
entourage and a rival hip-hop crew.
The 29-year-old Kim,
referred to by her legal name of Kimberly Jones in court, was rung on
counts of conspiracy and perjury for trying to protect her posse, but
was acquitted of the most serious charge of obstruction of justice. Her
assistant, Monique Dopwell, was also found guilty on the same charges.
The two women, who each face up to 20 years in a federal lockup
when sentenced on June 24, shook their heads as the verdicts were read.
Some supporters could be heard sobbing.
Kim's lawyer, Mel
Sachs, is expected to appeal. He had argued during the trial that Kim,
known for her raunchy raps and low-cut tops, was the victim of a
government witch hunt against gangsta rappers.
But the
five-woman, seven-man jury didn't buy it, and the panel returned the
guilty verdicts after just two days of deliberations.
The
Queen Bee got into this mess on Feb. 25, 2001, when members of her
Junior M.A.F.I.A. crew faces off with rival hip-hopsters
Capone-N-Noreaga and their posse outside of New York's Hot 97. Shots
were fired and one man took a bullet in the back and was seriously
injured. (Coincidentally, on Feb. 28, the same day Kim's trial began,
another high-profile shooting took place in front of Hot 97, this one
involving members of 50 Cent and the Game's entourages.)
According to prosecutors, Lil' Kim told some pretty "preposterous lies,"
the most egregious being that she had no relationship with one of the
triggermen--Suif "Gutta" Jackson, a longtime friend and bodyguard--and
that another, manager Damion Butler, wasn't present at the time of the
shooting.
But videotape of the incident contradicted her
testimony, showing her standing beside Butler when the gunfire erupted.
Jackson and Butler, who both pleaded guilty to weapons charges, turned
state's evidence against Kim and testified for the prosecution in her
trial.
Two members of Junior M.A.F.I.A., Antoine "Banger"
Spain and
James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd, also took the stand during the
trial to counter Kim. Meanwhile, Kiam "Capone" Holley was called by
prosecutors to describe the genesis of the beef between his group and
Kim's. Capone said the problem dated back to a rap Capone-N-Noreaga
performed with Foxy Brown that dissed Kim.
Sachs, in turn,
argued that Jones had no incentive to lie, didn't recognize a hazy photo
of Jackson police had shown her and was in such shock that she didn't
remember seeing Butler there that day.
In a bid to gain the
jury's sympathy, the Grammy-winning "Lady Marmalade" performer took the
stand in her own defense, stressing her rags-to-riches story, playing up
her relationship with slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., claiming Jackson
and Butler were trying to get back at her after a falling out and
assailing prosecutors, claiming they "badgered" her at the time she made
the discredited statements.
In closing arguments on Tuesday,
however, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gitner asserted that Lil' Kim
felt she was "above the law" when she testified before the grand jury
and that the case was ultimately about the superstar's honesty.
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