Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton, who won a Grammy Award a week ago, was convicted Tuesday of brokering a cocaine deal with an undercover drug informant.
A Tampa, Fla., federal jury found Banton guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine after deliberating 11 hours over two days.
Banton, born Mark Myrie, reached the zenith of his singing career Feb. 13 when his album "Before the Dawn" was awarded the Grammy for best reggae album. But in a flash, his life has seemingly bottomed out as he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
Prosecutors said Banton was the middleman in a cocaine transaction between Tampa dope dealers and a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The charges stemmed from a December 2009 DEA drug sting. Banton, 37, was caught on covert audio and videotape boasting about the "no-risk" drug deal and sampling the illicite white powder.
"This is not about Buju Banton, the reggae singer. This is about Mark Myrie, the drug defendant," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston said during his closing argument last Thursday.
Banton's lawyer, David Markus, countered that the singer did not profit from the drug deal. He said Banton was snared in the DEA probe because he is "a big talker" and was trying to impress the confidential informant - who ended up with a $50,000 commission following the bust.
"He tried to act cool," Markus said.
-Source:NY Daily Post
Lawyer To Appeal
ATTORNEY representing Reggae star Buju Banton, David Oscar Markus, has signalled his intention to appeal the guilty verdict that was handed down in the United States Sam Gibbons Federal Court today.
Banton was declared guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offence and using the wires to facilitate a drug-trafficking offence by a 12-member panel of jurors.
However he was found not guilty of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
The artiste hugged Markus when the verdict was read while many of his supporters left the courtroom crying. He has been detained and has had his bail revoked.
David Oscar Markus read a brief statement from Buju:
"Our life and our destiny are sometimes pre-destined and no matter where this journey takes me, remember I fought the good fight,"
"It was a great man that said my head is bloody but still unbowed I love you all thank you for your support," he added.
Banton is now in detention awaiting sentencing.
-Source:Jamaica Observer
A Tampa, Fla., federal jury found Banton guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine after deliberating 11 hours over two days.
Banton, born Mark Myrie, reached the zenith of his singing career Feb. 13 when his album "Before the Dawn" was awarded the Grammy for best reggae album. But in a flash, his life has seemingly bottomed out as he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
Prosecutors said Banton was the middleman in a cocaine transaction between Tampa dope dealers and a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The charges stemmed from a December 2009 DEA drug sting. Banton, 37, was caught on covert audio and videotape boasting about the "no-risk" drug deal and sampling the illicite white powder.
"This is not about Buju Banton, the reggae singer. This is about Mark Myrie, the drug defendant," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston said during his closing argument last Thursday.
Banton's lawyer, David Markus, countered that the singer did not profit from the drug deal. He said Banton was snared in the DEA probe because he is "a big talker" and was trying to impress the confidential informant - who ended up with a $50,000 commission following the bust.
"He tried to act cool," Markus said.
-Source:NY Daily Post
Lawyer To Appeal
ATTORNEY representing Reggae star Buju Banton, David Oscar Markus, has signalled his intention to appeal the guilty verdict that was handed down in the United States Sam Gibbons Federal Court today.
Banton was declared guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offence and using the wires to facilitate a drug-trafficking offence by a 12-member panel of jurors.
However he was found not guilty of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
The artiste hugged Markus when the verdict was read while many of his supporters left the courtroom crying. He has been detained and has had his bail revoked.
David Oscar Markus read a brief statement from Buju:
"Our life and our destiny are sometimes pre-destined and no matter where this journey takes me, remember I fought the good fight,"
"It was a great man that said my head is bloody but still unbowed I love you all thank you for your support," he added.
Banton is now in detention awaiting sentencing.
-Source:Jamaica Observer
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