Legal trouble In 2004, The Inc came under investigation for allegedly laundering money through the label for New York City drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. On January 25, 2005, Lorenzo and his brother Chris turned themselves in, alleging their innocence. They were released on $1 million bail, and would not be tried alongside McGriff for the charges against them. On November 16, 2005, the federal prosecutor Sean Haran said in his opening statement at U.S. District Court that Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher “used their corporate bank accounts to clean drug money”. According to Haran, convicted drug dealer Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, had shopping bags and shoe boxes full of cash delivered to the label’s Manhattan office in 2000. The company then cut McGriff $280,000 in checks. Authorities alleged that McGriff was permitted to funnel more than $1 million in drug money through Murder Inc. in return for serving as the label’s protector and enforcer. Prosecutors additionally claim that the Lorenzos knew about a murder plot against platinum-selling rapper 50 Cent. On December 2, 2005, Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher were acquitted of all money laundering charges. The brothers could have faced up to 20 years in prison. The defense countered all along that the brothers were victims of guilt by association with Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Music production Gotti co-produced Vanessa Carlton’s third album, Heroes and Thieves, with Channel 7, Rick Rubin and Stephan Jenkins, which was released October 9, 2007. In an interview with Angie Martinez in early May 2009, Irv stated that his label The Inc. was leaving Universal Records. |
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