Flippa to know his fate
DANCEHALL deejay Flippa Mafia, who is facing cocaine charges in the United States, may know his fate as early as next week when he appears in the Camden County Superior Court in New Jersey.
“He is scheduled to go on trial later this month, along with co-defendant Marsha Bernard. The court is conducting some pre-trial hearings this week, and the trial may start as early as next week,” said Peter Aseltine, press officer in the Division of Criminal Justice, in response to the Jamaica Observer’s queries.
The 37-year-old entertainer — whose given name is Andrew Davis — is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and money-laundering. He has been in custody since September 2013. If convicted, he faces a life sentence with eligibility for parole after 25 years.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On Monday, the artiste’s brothers — Kemar Davis, 24, of Hollywood, California (formerly of Margate, Florida) and Roger Davis, 37, of Roslyn, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge John T Kelley for participating in an operation that used the US Mail and other parcel delivery services to ship multiple kilograms of cocaine from California to New Jersey. More than 26 kilos of cocaine and over US$500,000 in cash were seized from the network. The Davis brothers were arrested in September 2013.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6.
Under a plea agreement, the state will recommend that Roger Davis who pleaded guilty to first-degree possession with intent to distribute cocaine be sentenced to 10 years in prison, with a three-year period of parole ineligibility. Kemar Davis, who pleaded guilty to leading a narcotics trafficking network, could be sentenced to 20 years in state prison, with a 12-year period of parole ineligibility.
So far, six persons have been charged in the case.
In a previous interview with the Jamaica Observer, Flippa Mafia’s attorney J Michael Farrell said his client was unfairly targeted.
“It is because of his fame. We believe he was unjustly targeted. It’s a case where individuals caught red-handed have entered into agreement with the government to save themselves from jail,” he said.
Flippa Mafia, also called the Flossing King, is known to dancehall fans for hurling hundreds of dollar notes into the crowd during his performances.
His better-known songs are Unfinished House, and Hear Mi Hear.
