Young Thug and Gunna aren’t the only rappers in trouble with the law for some of their pre-fame activities. New York rapper Casanova, who’s had a few viral hits in the last few years and dropped his debut album Behind These Scars on Roc Nation in 2019, was also indicted on racketeering charges in 2020 due to his alleged membership in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Blood set.
via: Complex
According to NBC 4 New York, the Brooklyn-born rapper pleaded guilty Wednesday, to multiple felony charges in his years-long federal racketeering case. Casanova—born Caswell Senior—allegedly admitted to his involvement in a July 2020 shooting in Florida, and an August 2018 robbery in New York City. The 35-year-old also confessed to trafficking more than 100 kilograms of marijuana while leading the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang in Westchester County, New York City, and Florida.
News of the plea comes more than 17 months after Casanova and 17 others were indicted on federal gang charges. In 2020, he addressed his legal issues in a video posted on social media. “As you already know, I’m fighting serious charges right now but I’m innocent, that’s one,” he said. “Two, I’ve been fighting my whole life so I can do this.”
Casanova breaks his silence and says he’s innocent pic.twitter.com/lHYNpwZNTn
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) December 3, 2020
Casanova surrendered to the FBI shortly after, and was booked on multiple charges, including firearm possession, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and racketeering conspiracy.
The rapper is the 13th defendant in the case to plead guilty.
“Like twelve of his co-defendants, Caswell Senior, an accomplished recording artist and performer, now stands convicted of playing a leadership role in Gorilla Stone, a particularly violent Bloods gang that operates throughout New York and across the country,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “In addition to his supervisory role, Senior was an active, hands-on participant in the gang’s senseless violence, including a shooting in Miami and contributing to a robbery at a Manhattan diner. Dismantling violent gangs and stopping gun violence continues to be one of my highest priorities […] Senior now awaits sentencing for his dangerous conduct.”
Casanova’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 60 years.
