Bobby Shmurda, Rowdy Rebel, and thirteen members of their GS9 crew all pleaded not guilty on sixty-nine charges. Some of those charges include narcotics sales, assault, and murder. The “Hot N***a” rapper and Rebel were arrested on December 17th on reckless endangerment, conspiracy, and gun possession after leaving a recording studio.
According to the authorities, the police found two handguns and a small amount of crack cocaine. The indictment then charged Bobby Shmurda (real name is Ackquille Pollard), Rowdy Rebel (real name is Chad Marshall), and thirteen defendants with a number of crimes including murder, attempted murder, assault, attempted assault, weapons possession, reckless endangerment, criminal use of a firearm, narcotics sales, and criminally using drug paraphernalia. Police also seized twenty-one guns during their investigation.
According to XXL magazine, during the three and a half hour hearing, Pollard and Marshall’s $2 million dollar bails were argued as “excessive” and “extremely unfair” by Pollard’s attorney Kenneth Montgomery. Montgomery questioned the prosecution’s claim that Pollard was a leader of the alleged operation. The attorney said, “There’s nothing about a hierarchy about this alleged gang.” Despite his arguments, the judge at Manhattan Supreme Court refused to reduce bail for all of the defendants. The defendants will have to wait until the judge delivers his decisions on April 22nd.
Pollard is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder in the second degree, reckless endangerment, criminally using drug paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a weapon. According to the initial indictment, the evidence against Pollard also includes recorded phone conversations, including some conversations about Pollard and gang members serving time on Rikers Island. On the other hand, Marshall faces conspiracy charges, attempted murder, attempted assault, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Both Bobby Shmurda and Rowdy Rebel are signed to Epic Records. Shmurda’s uncle and former manager, Debo Wilson, said the rapper’s industry friends have abandoned him. Wilson spoke to VladTV about his nephew’s legal issues and the people who left his side when he was arrested, “He got all the dick riding n****s in the industry that run around behind him. They’re not trying to help him.” Wilson added, “All they’re trying to do is live off his fame. Now he’s locked up. Where all those artists at? Where they at?” Besides his legal woes, Bobby Shmurda is also dealing with financial issues.