Rapper YNW Melly and his associate YNW Bortlen are facing witness tampering charges, and officials have revealed that they used a code name, “Rihanna,” as part of their system to manipulate witnesses.
Key Takeaway
Rapper YNW Melly and his associate YNW Bortlen are accused of witness tampering in their double-murder trial. Officials claim that they used the code name “Rihanna” to convey instructions to potential witnesses, attempting to prevent them from testifying. Melly’s lawyer characterizes the allegations as a desperate move by the prosecution after their unsuccessful first trial. The outcome of the retrial remains to be seen.
Codes and Coercion
According to recently obtained documents, Melly and Bortlen went to great lengths to prevent key witnesses from cooperating with the authorities and testifying in their double-murder trial. The evidence suggests that Melly utilized the phone privileges of another inmate to relay messages to the outside world, often contacting Bortlen, who was out on bond at the time.
The documents indicate that Melly had his phone privileges revoked due to disciplinary violations while in custody. During some of their conversations, certain references were made to “Rihanna” and “A$AP Rocky’s baby mama” staying behind in a “Maybach.” Prosecutors believe that these phrases were encoded instructions, signaling a specific female witness to refrain from appearing at the trial. Interestingly, the woman in question did not ultimately testify.
A Sophisticated Communication System
In addition to the coded messages, officials claim that Melly developed an intricate communication system caught on surveillance video. Through nonverbal cues, he orchestrated the delivery of handwritten notes to different cell blocks, ensuring effective communication with his network.
Challenging the Allegations
Melly’s lawyer has dismissed these allegations as a “desperate attempt” by prosecutors following their failure to secure a conviction in the initial trial. However, the jury will have the final say when the retrial commences next week.
