Rapper Ja Rule’s manager was arrested yesterday (Nov. 17) as part of an investigation into the music label once known as Murder Inc. Ron “Gutta” Robinson, 29, was arraigned on money laundering charges in federal court and released on $500,000 bond.
Defense attorney Stacey Richman said her client would contest the charges, but declined to comment further.
Robinson was accused of conspiring with other unidentified suspects to launder more than $1 million between 1997 and 2002. He allegedly “knew and believed that some of the laundered funds were the proceeds of … a controlled substance,” the indictment said.
Federal prosecutors are probing ties between drug dealers and Murder Inc., the recording home of hip-hop star Ja Rule and other platinum-selling acts such as Ashanti. Last week, the label’s bookkeeper was indicted, also on money laundering charges.
Murder Inc. changed its name to The Inc. earlier this year after executives said the label’s image was hurt by court filings alleging that they had been laundering drug money from a crack dealer, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff.
Federal officials also have linked McGriff to several drug-related murders, according to court filings. McGriff is serving time on a gun offense but has not been charged with the murders.
Both McGriff and Irv Gotti, the head of The Inc., have denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the label had no comment.
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