Irving and Cristopher Lorenzo won a small victory for hip hop after being acquitted on all charges in their money laundering trial.
After two days of deliberations, the jury returned a not guilty verdict early this evening.
The ruling caused an outburst from the brother’s supporters and several jurors asked to meet with the two after announcing the ruling.
We did it! We did it!”, Irving Lorenzo shouted as his lawyers carried him out of the courthouse.
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Lorenzo, better known to hip hop as Irv Gotti and his brother faced up to 20 years in prison. The case stems from the brother’s relationship with drug dealer Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.
McGriff was accused of funneling drug money through The Inc.. In exchange, he was to protect Gotti.
Gotti’s lawyers claim that the pair were guilty by association and Inc. artist Ja Rule called the case a ”war against hip hop”.
“There’s nothing illegal about knowing a criminal, about socializing with a criminal, even doing business with a criminal, unless you commit a crime,” defense attorney Gerald Shargel said. “Irv and Chris Lorenzo committed no crime.”
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The brothers were also accused of cutting checks for fraudulent companies which
McGriff owned. According to prosecutors, the label helped finance Crime Partners 2000, produced by one of McGriff’s film companies.
The defense countered this claim, stating that Gotti invested in the film because he and McGriff were old friends.
“Even if Supreme McGriff was the biggest drug dealer in the world, and even if ‘Crime Partners’ was the worst film in the history of American entertainment, there is nothing illegal about giving backing to a movie,”Shargel said.
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