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In SDNY Driver For Tekashi 6ix9ine Admits He Was Cooperating After Immigration Arrest Wants 5K1 Letter

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon, Thread
The Source - XXL - The Root - Vibe, etc

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 23 – By the third afternoon of evidence in the trial of Aljermiah Mack and Anthony Ellison, Daniel Hernandez / Tekashi 6ix9ine had finished responding to the government's direct examination questions. But on the fourth day of the trial, September 23, it was his driver Jorge Rivera being cross examined by Anthony "Harv" Ellison's lawyer Deveraux Cannick.

  Rivera, dressed in a light suit and blue tie and speaking in Spanish, admitted that he was already working for the government by the time of the alleged car-jacking and kidnapping, after being detained on immigration charges by ICE, and that like 6ix9ine he wants a 5K1 letter.

  The larger question seems to be why he just happened to have so many cameras inside the Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving 6ix9ine in for the car-jacking, and what he heard afterwards.

  Here's how it went: And we're back, #SDNY trial has continued with #6ix9ine's driver Jorge Rivera on the stand. AUSA: "Did Shotti say who's car it was?" Puts up Exhibit 801B. "And where was this assault rifle kept?"

 #6ix9ine's driver Jorge Rivera is in a light suit and blue tie. He's testifying in Spanish. AUSA: "Mr Rivera, was there another shooting later than same night?'  A: Yes Q: And what happened? A: We heard other people walking toward us. And they started shouting.

 Q: What happened after the gun went off? A: The police started searching for us... When the police frisked me, they didn't find anything.

AUSA: Mr. Rivera, I want to switch gears now. What is your immigration status? Did they come a time you were arrested by ICE? Rivera: Yes Q: While you were detained, did you speak with law enforcement about cooperating? A: Yes.

 AUSA: Mr. Rivera, when you were released, did you start driving for Mr. Hernandez again? A: Yes. Q: As a confidential informant? Judge Engelmayer to the jury: why don't you stretch you legs while we're taking a brief break.

Now they are again playing the video of the car jacking: "Get the f*ck out of the car." And #6ix9ine telling Harv, I always treated you right.

 Now AUSA asks Rivera: Did you make a recording on July 26, 2018 of Mr. Hernandez and Shotti? A: Yes.

 AUSA: Mr Rivera, what is it your understanding the government will do in exchange for your cooperation? Rivera: They'll give me a letter, saying all the good as well as the bad things, that I have done.  Note: So #6ix9ine's driver Jorge Rivera gets 5K1 letter too

 Cross-examination. Cannick: Mr. Rivera, were you aware that Mr. Hernandez had a number of radio and social media appearances on July 22 and 23 right after the supposed kidnapping? A: No. Only the Instagram video that I saw.

Cannick: Do you recall watching a video of Mr. Hernandez being interviewed by Angie Martinez? Rivera: I started watching it but I never finished it.

 Cannick: Did you ever advise Tekashi that you were cooperating with law enforcement? Rivera: No. Cannick: Did you ever come to believe that Tekashi suspected you of cooperating. Rivera: Yes, toward the end.  The end -- to be continued after some coverage of #UNGA, the once a year UN General Assembly "High Level" week. For now more on Patreon here.

 Here's how it went on September 19: Cannick starts in cross-examining #6ix9ine - cuts to the chase, his Instagram post: "Someone please snatch my chain for my project can get more publicity." Q: Did you post this prior to [the car-jacking]?

Cannick: Do you recall publishing a video pretending you were dead? #6ix9ine: Can you show me? For now, a private viewing.

 #6ix9ine says he doesn't remember uploading the video but he does remember being "filmed in that position."  Deveraux wants the video in evidence but the government objects to the commentary that accompanies it.

 Deveraux Cannick: Part of the role of my client, Anthony Ellison, was to collect money for you, correct? #6ix9ine: Correct. (denies memory of Harv collecting for him at a strip club.)  Cannick: in month after Gummo, how much money did you make? A: Like 60,000

 Cannick: So Trey Way Entertainment was a legitimate corporation? #6ix9ine: I would not say so. I didn't see no paper work. Cannick: Didn't you just say Shotti and the others had tried- #6ix9ine: Tried! Like, I could try a 3-pointer and not make it.

 Q: Before Gummo, what was your genre? #6ix9ine: Like a rockish rap. 

Q "Did you tell others to suck your body part?" A: Correct. But you just said you had to ponder it. A: I don't know what ponder means.

Q: Do you recall ever challenging Trippie Redd to fight? A: No. Q: Casanova? A: No.

(then #6ix9ine says he did make a challenge to fight to his best friend. But didn't fight. Q: But he wasn't always your best friend? A: Before I met him, he couldn't be my friend." 

Q: what about when Snow followed you [from the T-Mobile store]? Did you call Harv? A: Correct. But Mel Murda came first. Q: But then Harv came? A: Correct.   Q: And in the LA airport? A: Harv had been promoted to be my road manager. Q: And around the Super Bowl?

 Q: And around the All-Star Game, people bothered you? Some gang members were made you didn't check in? And Harv squashed that situation? #6ix9ine: No. It was me, Harv, his girlfriend, a light skinned chick taller than me. I believe she has a daughter or something.

 Q: Wasn't Harv mad at Shotti for getting you banned from places like the Barclays Center? A: No. Q: By then you were one of the hottest artists in the country #6ix9ine: In the world. Q: And you were proud of that. A: It's something to be proud of.

 Q: You didn't tell people that you knew what the media wanted? A: Not that comes to my memory, no. Q: On July 21, 2018 you were just on the verge of releasing a song, you were kidnapped and robbed on the same day? A: No!

 Q: What day did it happen? #6ix9ine: July 22.. it was like 5 am.. Q: so this alleged robbery happened hours before the release, correct? A: Correct.  [Note: #6ix9ine is taking swigs of bottled water during this cross examination, then leaning back in his chair.]

 Q: So when they supposedly robbed you, Harv and Sha were not wearing masks, right? A: Right. No masks. Q: In fact, according to you, Jorge went out and spoke with them who struck the car you were in. Yes. Q: Did you see a gun? #6ix9ine: Yes, almost immediately.

 Q: You can drive, right? #6ix9ine: I don't have a driver's license. Q: But you have driven many times. A: A handful of times. Q: What's a handful? A: Like six times. Two handfuls.

Q: So you were repeatedly hit by Sha? #6ix9ine: Yes. To the face and nose. A lot. Q: How many times? Like ten? A: Like that. Q: For how long? A: Five to twenty seconds. Q: Sha's a big guy? A: Bigger than me.

 Q: Do you recall proffer sessions with the prosecutors? A: Yes. Q: Did you tell them you got punched in the face and nose? Judge Engelmayer: The jury's coffee and snacks have arrived. Let's take a break.

 Ten minutes later Ellison's lawyer Cannick asks, "They didn't come after you with the car, did they?" #6ix9ine: Correct. Q: And a car just happened to be there, right? A: Correct. Q: Yesterday you said you ordered the guy to drive A: No, I said "Drive the f*cking car."

 Now Cannick asked #6ix9ine if he even looked at his jewelry in his daughter's Pampers bag before giving it to Sha. No, he did not. But says it was worth $360,000: Rolex, Jigsaw chain, four rings. Q: How do you know how much it cost? #6ix9ine asks, "Do we have it?"

Cannick asks, "Did you have the items insured?" A: No. Q: How much did you tell Angie Martinez they were worth? A million dollars? A: Correct. Q: That wasn't the only thing you lied to Angie Martinez about, right? A: Right - I lied about jumping out of car

 Q: How did you get to be on Angie Martinez' show? #6ix9ine: She asked me previous to the robbery. Q: in the interview you said you're the fastest man alive and you could make a movie out of this A: I don't recall saying that.

 Cannick asks #6ix9ine, do you remember telling Angie Martinez, "I could make a move outta this and it's be better than NWA." A: I said more than that- Judge Engelmayer: Just answer the question.

Cannick: With Angie Martinez you embellished things? #6ix9ine: I don't know what embellish means.  Cannick: you told Angie your movie coulda been better than N.W.A., right? A: Yes.   Cannick: you were just driving to the Park Slope area, without knowing where? 

#6ix9ine is done - meaning, off the stand. Now he just has to wait to (hope to) get the 5K1 cooperator's letter.  Now up: NYPD Officer Lebron from 79th Precinct, saying "Mr Hernandez came in bleeding from the face, said he got hit with a hard object." 

  Officer Lebron describing #6ix9ine's FaceTime call with "a female who said, Danny, Danny, how are you." He said he was OK, asked where driver Jorge Rivera was. (By the way, where *is* he?)

Officer Lebron accompanied Mr Hernandez in the ambulance to Kings County Hospital, hearing him say, "I thought I was going to die, I thought I was never going to see my daughter again."

 CJA defense lawyer Calvin Scholar does a quick cross-examination of Officer Lebron.

 Previous mystery solved: next government witness is Jorge Rivera, #6ix9ine's driver a/k/a Onstar. Judge Engelmayer tells juror even if they se habla espanol, it's the English interpretation that controls. Vamos a ver.

 Jorge Rivera says he is from Mexico, came to Brooklyn via North Carolina. At first he worked in a tire shop, until February 2018. Then became a driver for a car service.   He met #6ix9ine because someone hired him to drive them to a video shoot.

 AUSA Longyear: Prior to this day, had you ever heard of Daniel Hernandez or Tekashi Six Nine? Jorge Rivera: No. Q: Had you ever heard his music? A: No.  Now Rivera identifies Shotti, as #6ix9ine's manager

 Q: And what as Ro's relations with Mr. Hernandez? A: they were friends, they were together a good amount...  After the day he was kidnapped, quite a bit. [Clearly, Rivera is not going to share the defense's skepticism of the car-jack's promotional timing]

Sorry for the pause - 2nd #SDNY uproar. Yesterday it was audio, today video (seemingly shot yesterday, most are saying in the overflow courtroom 506). No trial tomorrow; jurors get their own lunch on Monday. For now more on Patreon here.

And here's how it went on the morning of September 19, with 6ix9ine saying: "I knew Harv had a video so I wanted to get mines out there first." As jury is shown video of Shotti's car in front of 370 Madison, #6ix9ine on the witness stand stretches and yawns.

Judge Engelmayer rules that Gov Exhibit 808 can only be considered by the jury against Harv, not Nuke. Could be important, since it involves checking out a .380  Now #6ix9ine answers that he won't interpret or verify the .380, says Shotti used a small handgun.

 Now #6ix9ine is asked about the phrase "on deck." Will he use it in a sentence.  "Got the Henny on deck," he says. "Like in the club." He uses the word lingo.

 Now with jury out of the room, Judge Engelmayer tells the government to show how it would question #6ix9ine about what Shotti told him in Santa Ana, California about "the incident at Smurf Village" back in Brooklyn. Now #6ix9ine being taken out of court for 10 min

We're back and Judge Engelmayer says he is "sustaining my own objection" because #6ix9ine is not answering the questions AUSA Longyear is asking about how the "prison line up" decided who would run the operations at Smurf Village in Brooklyn. Next... Now #6ix9ine says he offered $50,000 for someone to rob Harv. This is after Harv car-jacked and kidnapped him:  Now #6ix9ine says that on Power 105.1 he denounced them, saying that "Trey Way is a fraud... dirty Bloods." When he says he knows this would make him a target, Judge Engelmayer tells the jury to disregard it.

 Now a wiretapped call with Mel Murda reviewing #6ix9ine's "interview" on Power 105.1 where he said Trey Way was a fraud. "He must be on drugs... You gonna go on social media with it? I feel kinda depressed."

Wiretap call continues: "We made you who you was so you could help us with our situation. We gave you life. You wouldn't be shit without Trey!" AUSA Longyear: Have you heard of the term dry snitching?  #6ix9ine: it's a term on the street, snitching without snitching, it's like -  Judge Engelmayer: I don't think we need to hear any more on this answer. But what was said is received.

Q: Who is Jim Jones? #6ix9ine: He's a retired rapper. Q: Is he a member of Nine Trey? A: Yes. 

Next call: "Every time you look at it on YouTube or WorldStar you see Shotti with this shit... He didn't get enough money for that. Now his shows all canceled. He ain't a gang member no more.   TMZ wanna talk to the N on Monday.   We don't need to be on no TMZ  "You better stalk that shortie. No security gonna wanna work for him. He gonna have to stay in your house."  "Security of New York can't run around with guns, right?"  "Unless they ex cops."

 #6ix9ine is perched in witness chair listening to this wiretapped call: "You ain't never put no work in. So who the f*ck are you? We made that little N, we can break that little N." "We gonna paralyze him." #6ixNine put his leans his chin on his palm, slouches.

 Now AUSA Longyear asked #6ix9ine about his cooperation agreement. He told the government he brokered a 1 kilo of heroin deal into Bushwick around August of 2017.   Also sold heroin and marijuana in 2015. Got "five days of community service."

 #6ix9ine: I punched a guy in Times Square, with Shotti.  And in Houston I grabbed a fan by his jacket. The case is still pending, I think.

Q: Mr. Hernandez, have you been sentenced? A: No. Q: What is the maximum you face? A: Life. Q: What is your understanding of a 5K letter? A: it has the good bad and the ugly about me. The Judge gets it, and can go under the mandatory minimum. Like, time served.

 #6ix9ine: without a 5K1 letter, the minimum I could served would be 47 years. Government: No further questions. First question on cross-examination: you are testifying to get the 5K letter or to help the government? #6ix9ine: Little bit of both.

 Now Nuke Mack's lawyer Alex Huot is emphasizing that #6ix9ine's attempted murder was with Shotti, not with his client. "You wanted to take part, right?" "Right."  Cross Exam Q: After the robbery in Times Square where you video taped all the guys in the lobby, Mel Murda and them, Shotti threw the gun in your lap and you said you're too famous to hold a gun?  #6ix9ine: No. I said I'm too famous to get out the car with a gun.

Cross Exam Q: "What does trolling mean to you?  #6ix9ine: Showing a little bit of my personality.... I wasn't trolling, I made a video saying f*ck Chief Keef.  Q: Then you ordered a shooting? A: Correct.

 Cross-exam Q: If you get time served you'd get out at the beginning of next year, correct? #6ix9ine: Correct. Inner City Press @innercitypress · 1h Q: You're not being prosecuted for shooting a gun in the Barclays Center, correct? #6ixNine: Correct. Now Mack's lawyer is playing video of Tekashi bragging after the Barclay's shooting. Inner City Press uploaded yesterday:Q: So you were mocking them for ducking when fired on? A: Correct. Q: Do you think it is surprising that someone ducks when a gun is fired at them? #6ix9ine (pauses) No, not surprising.

Did you says, "I've had so many Instagrams, bro, I'm the king of getting my Instagrams deleted"? #6ix9ine: Was that an interview? I have no recollection of saying that. Q: Did you ever do a podcast with Adam22? Can I show you a transcript? (showing) 

Q: Have you had 11 Instagram accounts? A: Less than that. Q: Were some deleted? A: Yes. Q: Were you ever told why? A: No. Q: Did you ever say, "I'm just a troll who knows how to rap"? Another transcript. Angie Martinez.

 Now Mack's lawyer Huot asks about 2 interviews on the Breakfast Club. #6ix9ine called the DJs "Blood." He says he did it because "that's how Shotti talks and it rubbed off on me."

 Q: You still have a lot of fans? A: I hope so. Q: You put out a record after you were in jail, Dummy Boy? A: Yes. Q: Were you popular in jail? Objection. Judge Engelmayer: Sustained - irrelevant. Q: Did you sign autographs for guards? A: Not guards, a nurse.

 Q: Jail is still lonely for you? A: What do you mean, lonely? Yes, jail is really lonely. Q: Let's talk about the Mets game with Shotti and Jorge... Somebody told Shotti that Ro had been robbed? A: Correct. Judge Engelmayer give #6ix9ine a "comfort break."

 Now Nuke Mack's lawyer is cross examining #6ix9ine about Gummo, how many Nine Trey hand signals are in it. "You wanted it perfect, right?" A: "I want all of my music to be perfect."

\ Q: Do you have any idea how many people are members of the Bloods? A: Hundreds of thousands. Q: How about Nine Trey. A: I don't know, I'm not a statistic.

 Q: The kid whose jacket you grabbed in Houston, afterward you took a photo with him with both of you making the Nine Trey sign? #6ix9ine: Can you show me the picture? Mack's lawyer Huot: "I don't think I have that one with me."

Judge Engelmayer: Mister Smallman tells me the lunch has just arrived. Have a good lunch. Don't discuss the case. AUSA Longyear says since #6ix9ine is on cross examination, the case agents moving him won't discuss the case with them.

And they usually do? More on Patreon here.

  This is how on September 18 the rest of 3:30 pm to the end went:

#6ix9ine said he was in California when he learned of the shooting in Smurf Village, through an #InstagramLive by Billy Ado. Describes the fragmentation of Nine Trey into Sterling (the Ro group) versus Smurf Village [around Boys & Girls High School - where Inner City Press this summer shot a Periscope video of Dominica PM Roosevelt Skerrit bragging about his relationship with China.]

#6ix9ine: Shotti pulled out a chrome .38. AUSA Longyear: Did he use it? A: No.  Longyear ireads 69's Instagram messages, telling Billy Ado that the day he walked into the strip club taking the side of Harv, it was over. They put me in a position & I chose Shotti...

#6ix9ine: I was supposed to perform at the event for a professional football player, for $40,000. But it got shut down. So I went to the strip club...  Now AUSA Longyear asking about jewelry. Driver Jorge wraps it in Bounty, puts it in daughter's Pampers bag

 #6ix9ine: We're editing the video on Final Cut. I didn't know how to put a name template on it. So I tell Jorge to get the car ready to drive to Park Slope. Andrew Green moved there because he was scared - Objection! Sustained.

 We stop at intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Bedford, by the shelter. We get hit from behind. Jorge tells me, Don't get out of the car, I'll let them go on their way. Assuming it was someone drunk. Jorge gets out of the car. He takes longer than usual...

 #6ix9ine: I see a guy running up with a gun. I could have tried to lock the door but it was too late. The person who ran up was Harv's friend - Objection! Judge Engelmayer: The jury will disregard the description of someone as Harv's friend.

He's like, shut the f*ck up, get out the car. Harv was there too, wearing a red hoodie. There was a scuffle. My driver wasn't making the situation any better- Objection. Judge: Sustained - no opinions about the driver. Just, what happened.

#6ix9ine: I was telling him, Bro, I put money in your pocket, I did right by you. I was tired of being extorted.  Harv goes in the car and takes my bookbag with my laptop. They tell me to get in the car that bumped me. Harv gets in the driver's seat.

 #6ix9ine: We drive like a minute. Then Harv stops and gets out, running with gun back to Jorge who's following us. Jorge puts it in reverse.  Now video from Tahoe owned by Jorge Rivera - with subtitles into English. Carajo

There is audio of the car jacking. "Get the fuck in." "Chill! Chill!" "I put money in your pocket bro." "Where the f*ck is everything? Get in the car with us, N."  Then a "Call Onstar" message in Spanish.  "Esta llamada puede ser registrada."

Recording continues: "Tienes que llamar la policia! Me llamo Jorge!"  AUSA Longyear: Stop it there. What was Harv wearing that evening? A: A red hoodie. Judge Engelmayer: Please focus on what actually happened.

 #6ix9ine: I was pleading with Harv. I mentioned my daughter-- Judge Engelmayer cuts in. You're daughter was not there that night. Just say what happened. "Mister Longyear, you may have to lead. This is..." #6ix9ine: I see a phone flashing, like it was recording.

 #6ix9ine: Harv made me say, three times, "I'm not Billy." They picked me up from the floor--  Judge Engelmayer cuts in: "Let me see counsel at the sidebar." 

Judge Engelmayer tells #6ix9ine to answer only the question asked. He says: Harv says, we can just do this N right here. No one will ever know. This is a [stolen vehicle.] Harv asked, what are u exchanging for your life? #6ix9ine said, Stay with me til the morning

 #6ix9ine offers to give Harv $100,000 in the morning when the bank open. Nah, Harv said. What you got right now? They drove to Kingston. "We came to an agreement if I gave them my jewelry they would let me go." He asked mother of his daughter to bring jewelry down

They grabbed the jewelry. I was expecting to be let out of the car. But Harv just keep driving. They let me out right behind Smurf Village. Harv said, Get out the car. I said no, if I get out you gonna shoot me in my back. Harv: get the f*ck out of the car.

#6ix9ine: So I ran, I took the first left I could. I jumped in the backseat of a car. The guy said, Get the f*ck out my car. I said, Bro, you need to relax at this point. Just drive. He made all the turns I made: a right, another right. Right to Harv's car

#6ix9ine: After Harv drove away I told the guy to drop me at the precinct, by Quincy.   I asked for medical assistance. I went to Kings County Hospital. Shotti got me discharged. He took me to somewhere in Long Island, a hospital. CAT scan. Concussion medication.

 #6ix9ine: "Later at 31 Kingston I told Mel Murda what had happened. Shotti brought a big assault rifle. He said he was gonna go spin the block, looking to harm Harv.  Now AUSA Longyear is passing the (disabled) gun to the jurors.

After the gun show-and-tell and a sidebar, Judge Engelmayer said breaking for the day. #6ix9ine was supposed be over by midday on September 17. But it's going into September 19, at least.

AUSA Longyear says will wrap up direct examination of #6ix9ine tomorrow by lunch time, or *maybe* mid-morning break, has more recordings to get through. Nothing else how long cross will go. Inner City Press will continue to cover this case. For now more on Patreon here.

Earlier in the afternoon of September 17: #6ix9ine says Ro (Roland Martin) told him Nuke stole his car. "It was embarrassing for us. The Godfather of our line up was robbed." AUSA Longyear: Let me draw your attention to Gov Exhibit 501gg, messages from Instagram

 #6ix9ine turns to Magoo, high ranking Blood in the prison line up. And Frank White.  Q: Do you have any understanding of what the phrase "You're not part of the fam" means? A: You're not part of the game. Q: What does that mean? A: Nine Trey.


 #6ix9ine moves on to messages of Nine Trey member Coke Boy Mad Max, bodyguard for French Montana. (By the way, he's still live - and Instagram has still not responded on TheShadeRoom)  

Now #6ix9ine says that Ms.TR3YWAY's mother owns 370 Madison. Objection. Judge Engelmayer: Substained as to speculation about ownership of the building.

 Turning to two shootings in Brooklyn on April 21, 2018. #6ix9ine says he was with Jorge. "I went to the bank, bought some clothing, got some food at a Spanish restaurant. I was getting ready for performance at Barclays Center...
Two guys are harassing me. Jorge is driving my Suburban. They pull up parallel, recording, mocking me. So Shotti pulls out a gun, opens their door and pistol whips them. We're telling Shotti to chill, it's a main street, Graham Avenue...

 The guys says, Come to Gates and Garvey. We drive away. There's a garbage truck. We get caught behind it. Shotti cocks the gun. Quote: "These Ns think I'm playin?" He runs toward the car. It goes into reverse. Shotti gets on 1 knee and starts firing off

Q: Mr Hernandez, what happened after that shooting? A: We went back to Kingston. Then later that night I had a performance at the Barclays Center, the Main Event fight. Adrien Broner against some other guy, I don't remember his name

#6ix9ine: Harv told me to stay away from Casanova, he was a b*tch ass N-word and a snitch.  Testimony turns to "Billy" - Inner City Press covered Judge Engelmayer's ruling admitting into evidence some but not all of the video

They played parts of "Billy" in the courtroom. Judge Engelmayer excluded parts of it, saying it was be too prejudicial...

 Now AUSA Longyear is asking #6ix9ine about the lyrics of Billy, Exhibit 608t. In the song, the first voice is Shotti. The song is directed at Casanova. Q: "Follow protocol Blood" - what does that mean? A: You know, protocol. Follow the politics of it...

AUSA Longyear asks about the line "I'm a killa too" - is it referring to Nine Trey?  #6ix9ine says flatly, "No." Refers to "the craft, you know, the art."

Now it turns to the Barclays Center. #6ix9ine "We're in a tunnel. The doors open and 30 of Casanova's people come rushing at us, 6 or 7 of us. They were trying to get to me but I made my way to the back." Shotti told Fuquan Lovick to pull out the gun and shoot it

AUSA Longyear: In the Barclays video, who is the gentleman in the black collared shirt? A: Jorge [the driver.] Q: And what's Fu Banga doing? A: He's throwing up Nine Trey. Q: What about the arm reaching in? A: Can you zoom in for me? I'm bad with my eyes.

Inner City Press wonders: will this throw-away line come up on cross-examination?

#6ix9ine: We watched the fight from the car. But before that, I got on Instagram and mocked Casanova. It's coming in as Exhibit 500a

They play the #6ix9ine mocking Casanova Instagram. Then Judge Engelmayer calls mid-afternoon break. Once jury out of room, he puts on the record the bases of his evidentiary rulings. Will there be an appeal? For now more on Patreon here.

Earlier, the answers spanned all the way from Times Square to Fulton Street in Brooklyn with a loaded gun on the subway, and to Citi Field in Queens, taking photos with Mister Met when news came on that Nuke had tried to rob Godfather Roland Martin.

 Here is how it went, after the mid-morning break:

#6ix9ine continued: "Harv said, Stopping picking and choosing when you wanna be gangster, when you show up and deal with a situation." [Elsewhere in the #SDNY, also in prison blues, Joshua Schulte appeared, charged with stealing info from the CIA]

Harv said, I'd rather have 10 lions than 100 sheep. 

#6ix9ine detailing split of Harv and Shotti, with Harv now on trial saying Shotti (who's pled guilty) is not as gangster as him

Harv told #6ix9ine to pawn his jewelry, get security and "live your Internet life... stop being billy."  Things seem to have been going south fast...

Shotti would shake the barricades outside the strip clubs and scream, we the mob, we Trey Way  Objection. But #6ix9ine continues.  Judge tell him, When lawyers object, I'm the 1 to answer, not u.  But he's already answered. Judge tells jury to disregard any explicit "I guess" statements.

Q: And how did Harv respond?  #6ix9ine: "He said, 'Respect this d*ck.... I'm laughing but I'm not playing."

#6ix9ine continues: we went to confront Trippie Redd in Times Square. But Frenchy was there, his protection when in New York City.... Trippie should have checked in with us, Nine Trey. We drive off because there's a lot of police presence

#6ix9ine...Shotti fires five or six shots into the sprinter van.  Q: what happened after the shots were fired?   A: The shots hit the car. 

Q: Turning to a robbery.  A: I was at 31 Kingston, my residence at the time. With Jorge Rivera, my driver

#6ix9ine: Shotti put a bullet in the gun. I started filming.  Q: why did you want to record?  A: To show that we robbed them. That they disrespected us--  Now video being shown: govt exhibit 600

 In the middle of Times Square in the middle of the day, #6ix9ine says, what the f*ck, I'm f*cking famous by now, & someone's gonna see me with a fully loaded gun in my hoodie.  We tried to flag some cabs down but they weren't stopping for us. So we take the train.

We took the A train from Times Sq to Fulton Street in Bklyn. Q: what happened to what you stole? The backpack?  A: It was put in 31 Kingston, my place of residence. It wasn't like a trophy or nothing.

His line by April: Ro was the godfather, Shotti was second, everyone was eating.   "We went to a strip club, Scarlets. Harv pushed Nuke. Nuke started laughing: you wanna do this right here? He made the motion like he had the gun in his hoodie."

 Then around April, Nuke robbed Ro. "I learned about it at a Mets game. We were taking a picture with Mister Met. Shotti is screaming on the phone, Nuke robbed Ro.  Jorge goes to get the car ready. Shotti meets Ro on Sterling. Actually, I don't know where...

Judge Engelmayer: Sustained.

Nuke was asking Ro to set Rainbow up for him. Ro said no, slipped out of the car.  Drama is mad that his car is all messed up. The window is shattered.  Going back: Nuke was drunk, not even trying to dodge the bullets. The gun jammed and they drove off.

Now gov't putting into evidence the video Nuke uploaded to his Instagram. 

Judge Engelmayer cuts in. The jury's lunch has arrived.

 AUSA Longyear: I'm not going to get in the way of lunch.
 
  The reporting will continue. For now more on Patreon here.

Earlier on Sptember 18, AUSA Longyear's first question: We were talking about the leadership structure of Nine Trey, right?

A: Yes. Now turning to the money..Did you have the understanding that the money you gave was for people behind the wall?

#6ix9ine: When they started taking the money. Say I would get $250,000, they would give me like $185,000 and take the rest. I was going shows, appearances, endorsements.

 #6ix9ine: They would send me the front end, half, with the back end in cash. Q: What was it that Shotti did with the money? A: At first I didn't ask any questions. Shotti was like, feed the wolves, feed the homies, support them.

 #6ix9ine: After Roland Martin came home, from prison, I learned... Shotti said, "Make sure these Ns are good they make sure we good." I had to go pay Frank White's wife two thousand dollars.

Reference was made to the Black Disciples. Many are wondering: where will 6ix9ine go after this?

#6ix9ine is identifying photographs: Harv, Seqo, Billy Ado - all from the "Wavy Baby 3" account, prosecutor says. 

Defense objects that the photos weren't shown on the screen.

AUSA Michael D. Longyear asks about Exhibit 501u. "That's me, Shotti and Nuke... the day I first met Nuke."  501j: Billy Ado, throwing up Nine Trey & holding a gun with a drum on it. (He adds again the definition: an attachment that holds more bullets.)  501o: Nuke & Harv.

501q: Shotti and another 9 Trey member with a red hoodie. And there's Mel Murda and Nuke. 501r: Me and Nuke in Nov-Dec. 501t: I'm on the bottom left, Harv is on the top left covering his face with the grey hoodie. Seqo Billy is crouched down on the right.

#69x9ine says, echoing yesterday's testimony: my main dispute with with Trippie Redd. "He was with another set of Bloods.... So was Casanova."  Gov't exhibit 24 is Trippie Redd, 24a his "name plate."

 Trippie Redd's manager gave us the address of his video shoot. I told Shotti I wanted something done about Trippie. Shotti: "Say less," we'll get on top of it.  We go to Red Hook or around there, industrial area. I'm in a Jeep. We see Trippie Redd's sprinter van Inner City Press @innercitypress · 1h We surveillanced it, waiting for Trippie Redd. Shotti said he had a few of the homies meeting up with us there. We stake out, Trippie Redd comes, gets in with 15 people. We follow him for an hour on the highway. I recall Harv coming in 4 door Honda

 The sprinter van gets to the hotel. We don't wanna get spotted. Shotti gets out, tells me to stay in the car. Harv parks parallel to the hotel. He's with like three other guys. Shotti comes back screaming, It's f-cking Trey Way, I love me Ns, we got that N

#6ix9ine: Shotti said Harv punched Trippi Reed in the mouth. (for some reason, Harv's lawyer has not objected - maybe it'll come up on cross-examination.)  At this point in time did Harv assume a role with your entourage? I used him as a body guard

 After the incident with Trippie Redd I saw that Harv was more of a doer. He's a big guy. I gave him the enforcer job. Q: At this point, what was Mr. Ellison's, Harv's, role in the gang? Judge Engelmayer: Basis? How does he know?

Shotti told me, quote, I'm the Big Homie. Obviously, Mel was the Godfather. And Harv just underneath. Q: were there other times Harv protected you? A: Gummo just came out. I was in a T-Mobile store, some dude was waiting for me. Harv came- Q: What he armed?

 Objection resolved, narrative continues: "The guy from the T Mobile store was sending me message so we went looking for him. I saw a gun in Harv's car."  Near 18 Locust, I was walking to Chase Bank to make a deposit. I ran into another 9 Trey member...

 #6ix9ine: He's called Snow, he did a podcast saying he's not down with that 'Rainbow head piece of shit.'  I called Shotti, and put him on Facetime with Snow. Shotti tells him, Love him like I love him.  I had another phone at the time. I contact Harv.... I put my phone on the charger. Then Mel Murda came. We start following Snow. We see him in the Brooklyn House hotel where I used to stay. Mel Murda tells Snow, don't touch him, don't look his way. Then Harv shows up with Billy Ado. He was armed.

 Q: Did you come to find out if anything happened to Snow after that?  A: A month after he was shot in the head.

 #6ix9ine: There was a tribute for the manager of A$AP Rocky. No one knew that Shotti was part of my entourage, so Security jumped him. We went to protect him, a huge brawl, people gettin stabbed, hit with big sticks.  AUSA: Here's a big stack of CDs

There's silent video of the brawl. Q: What are you and Nuke doing? A: Greeting each other. Doing the 9 Trey handshake. Q: Is that the handshake you testified about yesterday?  [Inner City Press: actually, he shook hands with himself yesterday.]

 Q: And what's Billy Ado doing in the video? A: He's stabbing the security guard.  Q: What's Harv holding? A: Like a three inch wooden stick. I seen Harv get hit in the face with that stick. He took the stick and beat up the guy who hit him.

Q: Did there come a time you got into a fight with others at an airport in LA? A: Yes. It was NBA All-Star weekend. At the airport there are these two girls exiting, Seqo and Billy Ado approached them flirting, lemme help you with your bags. The boyfriends came...

 The boyfriend said, they don't need help with their bags.  Harv punches the guy in the face to initiate the fight. I don't know why I ran out there, I don't know why.  Q: did you participate in the fight?  #6ix9ine: Yeah but I didn't land any punches.

 AUSA Longyear: Let's turn to page 2 of the group chat. What did you write?  A: I wrote, Yo we gotta run down Casanova, he came out with a diss song that I took as disrespect.  Q: Seqo makes a reference to "my bag." What does my bag mean?  A: It means my money.

 Q: What did Harv write? A: We big behind the wall. He meant that the Billies are big behind the prison wall. Objection! Overruled.

#6ix9ine: "Nine Trey, it's a worldwide thing."

 #6ix9ine: "We met up on Long Island. Prior to me giving Harv and Shotti money. They was falling out - who was tougher, who was closer to me, who was I giving more of the money to. The meeting consisted of, where is the money going? Why aren't other members eating?

 I gave Harv $25,000...I have Shotti another $30,000 for a hosting at a club, I was gonna sing a song.  Mel was like, "Where the money at?"  Shotti is like, I gotta take care of the homies. Homies gotta eat. We don't got no guns out here. We got to equip ourselves.

  Then Judge Engelmayer declared mid-morning break - and went into his robing room with one lawyer from each party, to discuss a "courthouse security issue." More on Patreon here.

 In the last segment of September 17, running to 4 pm, Hernandez started describing the structure of the gang, in prison and on the street, Godfather to five star generals. It went like this:  The AUSA asked, "When did you become a member of Nine Trey?" November 2017. Were you initiated? No. You had to shoot your 31...

#6ix9ine: to be initiated you had to do work. Like, cutting someone's face.  Mr Hernandez, but you were not initiated, right. Right. I just had to keep making hits and giving financial support to the gang. Equipping with guns. Like, so they could buy guns ... So what did you get from Nine Trey? "I would say my career. Credibility. Protection. All of the above." Trey Way was something what we could market. Q: Could you demonstrate the handshake? A: I need two people, but...

 Now #6ix9ine is shaking hands with himself, standing up so the jury can see. AUSA: "Who taught you that?" "I'm doing it with Shotti a lot." "The nine with your index finger and your thumb." Nuke taught me. Photo. "I think I was just getting the hang of it." 

 "We show up at a strip club in Brooklyn. Angels strip club, I don't want to be quoted." [There is a court reporter.] I wasn't making the sign right. He pulled me to the side. Yo, like, if you're going to be Nine Trey you have to make the sign right.

 Mr. Hernandez, did you ever see Mr. Ellison make the sign? "Yes." Cuing up another video.  "Your honor, there's a little technical issue." Engelmayer: Ok, very good.  "Just show the witness the opening frame of Exhibit 802." Pauses at 7 seconds on the B-word

 "Mr Hernandez if you could identify the people in the photograph." "I don't know the guy in the LA hat." "And what is Mel Murda wearing?" "Cincinnati Reds... He's the grandfather, I mean godfather, of the Nine Trey Bloods."  a/k/a Mel Matrix...

 A: "Does 9 Trey have a leadership structure?" Yes. There was a street line up and a prison line up. A: How did the prison line up work? "My understanding is that with the prison line up there was a higher up to get anything sanctioned on the street." Objection!

 Overruled. Now 6ix9ine says he spoke to Frank White and Magoo. "They could say who had ranking and who didn't." Q: Turning to the street line up, were there ranks? A: There was a godfather... twins... Five star general...

 Who occupied the positions? "Mel Murda was the godfather. Right under was Shotti... Seqo Billy was a five star."'

#6ix9ine: "Shotti told me if you take care of the people behind the wall, they'll take care of you." Judge Engelmayer says lunch will be ordered in for jurors tomorrow, to save time.

Judge: "Counsel I'll see you tomorrow." More on Patreon here.

 Earlier, Hernandez did begin at 2:10 pm and things quickly turned to Gummo and Kooda, the N-word and the Big Homie of Smurf Village in Bed-Stuy. Here's how it went:  "Your honor, the government calls Daniel Hernandez." He's in prison blues. Deputy Smallman just swore him in. It's on.

 Q: Mr Hernandez, where were you born? Bushwick, Brooklyn. Q: how far did you go in school? Like tenth grade. When did you start living in federal custody? When did you start cooperating? "The next day. The day after we were taken down."

 Q: were you a member of a gang? Yes. The Nine Trey Bloods. Q: what sort of things did 9 Trey do? Robberies, assaults, drugs... Q: do you recognize anyone in court? A: Anthony Ellison has a gray suit on. Mack has a brown suit on.

 Where'd you go to school? PS 59. Campos middle school. Legacy high school. Did you work? I started working at 13. My first job was at Youth Corps, for about 2 months. Didn't make a lot, so bussed tables with my brother. Then grocery store delivery boy 2 years

 #6ix9ine: "I landed another bus boy job. Then I became a rapper. Peter Rogers came into the store I worked in in Sept 2014 to buy tea and peanuts, asked me if I rapped. Said, You look cool. I made more like rock n' roll rap....

 Toured in Bratislava, Slovakia; Moscow... For all those shows I made about $2 thousand profit. I did it just for the experience. It changed in Sept 2017. Filmed a music video in #BedStuy, 370 Madison. Gov't exhibit 202 [Inner City Press has requested all exhibits]... More on Patreon here

 "Before I changed my style of rap, I liked this kid called Kooda, I thought he was talented, so I named the song after him." "Kooda was filmed in Brooklyn, intersection of Fulton Avenue and Utica, near Smurf Village. It is Nine Trey members who live there."

Now government plays (parts of) Kooda, again very loud.  6ix9ine testifying about the Big Homie in Smurf Village (!) Government pulls up transcript of Kooda lyrics, Exh 609t. Link here.  "If you replace N-word with 'people,' that's what I meant. No one understood how rainbow hair could be with the Bloods... Fifty means to be on point, to be aware. Objection: leading. Sustained.

Q: How did you come up with drafting those lyrics? Based on your time with Nine Trey, did you learn some of their lingo?" "Come again?"  Lingo. Judge Engelmayer says the jurors want their mid-afternoon break.

An aside: One might wonder why this prosecution is not in #EDNY. But not only are SDNY prosecutors grabby - this is also the rare gang case with Times Square shootouts...Aljermiah Mack's lawyer Louis Fasulo gets to cross examine Detective Deck, who is being evasive. Says no he doesn't have access to housing development videos, has to call to get them. No, didn't call in this case. (But got video, that's the point). Fasulo's cross didn't get very far. Anthony Ellison's lawyer Calvin Scolar  gets Detective Deck to describe man with deeply slashed face as "pretty calm." Now Judge Engelmayer has summoned all the lawyers to a whispered sidebar... Calvin Scholar asks Detective Deck what C-4 means: "All investigative leads have been exhausted." No re-direct; gov reading in stipulation about iPhone of Kifano "Shotti" Jordan. Then trial bogged down with government reading into evidence stipulation about Facebook, owner of Instagram, account of "Daniel Hernandez a/k/a Tekashi 6ix9ine;" Mack's jailhouse calls with Kristian Cruz.

 Judge Engelmayer declared a 15 minute "comfort break," from 11:12 to 11:27. Then the government said "Miss Ramirez" is the next witness. Moving the goal posts, or pulling the football back like in Charlie Brown... Watch this site. For now, more on Patreon here.

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                        SDNY courthouse, Worth St entrance, (c) Inner
                        City Press

For more on this case, including the April 30, 2019 multiple defendant discovery conference before Judge Engelmayer, click here.

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