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YNW Melly’s co-defendant successful his double-murder case, YNW Bortlen, has taken a plea woody from Florida prosecutors, avoiding a assemblage proceedings a time earlier it was acceptable to begin.
At a proceeding Tuesday (Sept. 9) successful Broward County court, Bortlen (Cortlen Henry) agreed to plead nary contention to 4 lesser counts successful the case, including accessory aft the information and witnesser tampering. In exchange, prosecutors dropped 2 first-degree execution charges.
Under the deal, the justice sentenced Bortlen to 10 years successful situation followed by six years connected probation — acold little than the aggregate beingness sentences helium was facing if convicted. He volition besides beryllium credited for clip served, which could heavy trim the condemnation aft Bortlen spent years waiting for trial.
Along with Melly, Bortlen was charged with murder successful February 2019 implicit accusations that the duo changeable and killed Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas, Jr., 2 of their companions. Prosecutors accidental Bortlen was driving the car wherever the shooting happened, past helped Melly marque it look similar a drive-by shooting.
Though Melly’s proceedings has been delayed until January 2027, Bortlen’s was acceptable to footwear disconnected connected Wednesday (Sept. 10). At the hearing, aft accepting Bortlen’s plea, Judge Martin S. Fein expressed outright astonishment astatine the favorable presumption of the deal: “I’m not rather definite however your lawyers managed to bash this, but I privation you bully luck sir,” Judge Fein told him.
It’s unclear the grade to which the woody requires Bortlen to cooperate. At the hearing, Judge Fein said the authorities wanted to inquire him questions — a notation to a alleged proffer successful which defendants stock details with prosecutors. But helium seemed to bespeak that Bortlen was not required to incriminate Melly.
“Your answers to immoderate of those questions, immoderate they whitethorn be, person nary bearing connected maine and person nary bearing connected this negotiated resolution,” Fein said. “In different words, the woody you negotiated is the woody you negotiated.”
Bortlen’s attorney, Fred Haddad, and a spokesperson for prosecutors did not instantly instrumentality requests for comment. But Haddad told the Sun Sentinel aft the proceeding that his lawsuit would springiness a sworn connection successful tribunal that would “explain his relation successful the shooting.”
Once a fast-rising hip-hop star, Melly has sat successful jailhouse successful Broward County since 2019, awaiting a verdict connected the execution charges. That lawsuit has been endlessly delayed — archetypal by COVID-19, past by a long-running decease punishment appeal, past by a hung-jury mistrial, and astir precocious by different entreaty implicit evidence. Last month, a justice postponed the proceedings until January 2027 — astir 8 years aft the rapper was archetypal arrested.
Prosecutors accidental Demons and Bortlen carried retired the killings wrong a car aft an Oct. 26 signaling workplace league successful Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. They past allegedly staged a drive-by shooting to marque it look similar the brace of friends had been murdered by others, including driving astir with the bodies, earlier Bortlen took them to an exigency room.
Melly has agelong maintained his innocence and has pleaded not guilty. Following the latest delay, helium fired his lawyers and replaced them with Drew Findling, a seasoned Atlanta transgression lawyer with a who’s-who database of powerhouse hip-hop clients including Cardi B, Offset, Lil Nas X, Lil Durk, GloRilla and more.
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