Author Archive: MLi
Was Mexican drug lord busted by his Instagram ?
- Jose Rodrigo Arechiga Gamboa, otherwise known as ‘El Chino Antrax,’ was arrested at Amsterdam’s Airport Schiphol after he arrived on a flight from South America under a false name last Tuesday
- He is a suspected top enforcer for the powerful Sinaloa Cartel and is wanted on drug charges in Southern California
- It appears he couldn’t help but boast about his extravagant lifestyle on social media, with accounts in his name posting scores of photos of sports cars, weapons and women
- This may have helped U.S. investigators build their case against him
11 facing federal cocaine trafficking charges
INDIANAPOLIS (April 9, 2014) – Eleven people face federal charges in connection with a drug trafficking operation in Indianapolis.
U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett made the announcement Wednesday in conjunction with Indiana State Police, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The federal indictments are part of a lengthy investigation into cocaine distribution called “Operation Family Ties.” The drug trafficking ring operated in Indianapolis’ Butler-Tarkington area, investigators said.
Eleven people were named as defendants:
- Benigno Reyes-Contrerra (aka Jose Reyes), 27
- Edgar Dominguez-Castillo, 25
- Gerardo Baltierra, 29
- Fellipe Maguellal, 22
- Wade Havvard, 36
- Antjuan Dyson, 36
- Larry Eugene Coe, 39
- Tuwanna Harney, 37
- Timika Highbaugh, 39
- Waimond Jackson, 53
- Earnest McCain, 55
50 Cent Ordered To Pay $16 Million To Sleek Audio
50 Cent lost a big battle in court recently, forcing him to pay out more than $16 million.
According to Radar Online, the hip-hop mogul was ordered by a judge to pay Sleek headphones $11,693,247 in damages, plus $4,488,331 in attorney’s fees, totaling $16.1 million.
Sleek sued 50 Cent last year, after a planned deal between the two fell apart. After investing more than $1 million in Sleek to start his own line of headphones, the rapper severed ties with the company and would eventually partner with another audio brand to launch SMS Audio.
Sleek, however, claimed 50 Cent stole their design, saying it was “basically the same design, mechanically” as the model he developed for SMS Audio. Moreover, they accused 50 Cent of “misappropriating trade secrets, breaching his fiduciary duty owed to Sleek, participating in a civil conspiracy, breaching his confidentiality agreement with Sleek, and being unjustly enriched.”
They said 50 pulled private confidential information off a website Sleek created. This website has reportedly close to 4,000 potential customers’ e-mail addresses, among other data. And, when the data disappeared from Sleek’s servers, they said his assistant reportedly wrote, “[Sleek] is onto us, LOL. They emailed and called … about the data.” Another assistant also commented on this. “Tell him something like, sorry, you just have to finish editing a video for 50 or something, we’ll get to it, LOL,” the assistant reportedly said.
50 Cent had counter sued, accusing Sleek of “fraudulently induced him into entering into an investment with them and breaching their fiduciary duties to him.” In May 2013, an arbitrator denied 50 Cent’s claims and sided with Sleek.
Now, he’s on the hook for more than $16 million. Ouch!
Feds Use Instagram To Arrest Over 350 Drug Dealers
The Federal Government has no problem using every tool at its disposal to catch criminals inaction. After noticing an extremely large number of criminals using Instagramto show off their drugs, money, and expensive purchases, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) teamed up with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to set up sting operations to take down criminals.
Over the weekend, the special group conducted over 200 sting operations around the United States and arrested over 350 drug dealers, all from viewing various Instagram pictures. Along with the arrests, the Feds seized over $2 million cash, $500,000 in stolen goods, 300 pounds of harvested marijuana, 400 marijuana plants, and over 50 pounds ofcocaine. The haul came in at an astounding $7 million street value.
One man, who was identified as Tyrell Jones of Minneapolis, posted a photograph of a remote warehouse where he stored his drugs. Jones showed several photos of the location and bragged that he was “moving weight” in the caption. Unfortunately for Jones, he unknowingly geotagged the location of the photo, leading police directly to him. Geotagging is the process of adding a geographical location to various types of media. The data provided law enforcement officials a map directly to the location of the drugs, where Jones was inside. He was taken into custody without incident.
Jones also posted pictures and videos of members of his entourage selling drugs to neighborhood school kids. In the video Jones stated, “These kids got money too. They can just served just like the rest of them.” In one photo Jones bragged that the police were not smart enough to catch him. Police are now attempting to identify and locate the other men in the photographs.
These type of busts have become fairly common. Jose Rodrigo Arechiga Gamboa, who was a leader in a Mexican drug cartel, was recently arrested after showing off his extremely lavish lifestyle on the social network.”
Missing Atlanta Dancer Found Dead; Murder Suspected
The body of Angela Rabotte, 26, a popular Atlanta stripper who had been missing since last Friday, was discovered in Norcross, Georgia and one person of interest is in custody, reports the AJC.com.
Rabotte, who is known by the stage name Climax, was discovered by a survey crew in a heavily wooded around 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
Angela Rabotte, an exotic dancer who went missing in Atlanta, was found dead in Lilburn, according to local reports.
Rabotte, 26, had been missing since last Saturday. Her body was found in a wooded area near Lilburn Industrial Way and Arcado Road, and it was discovered by surveyors working in the area, police told AJC.com.
She was last seen in the Steeplechase Apartments parking lot on Saturday. Officials said she dropped her daughter off with a friend before attending a party.
Police believe that foul play is suspected in her death. Detectives are now investigating the matter.
“Don’t know what I’m going to tell my daughter. That’s is what just kills me because she wakes up every morning talking about her mommy,” Rabotte’s ex-boyfriend Darrell Campbell told WSB-TV.
One of the last people to have seen her alive is in custody, but on different charges. Officials described him as a person of interest.
“Fair to call him a person of interest but he has been in custody far before we had this crime scene. He was actually in custody in the Gwinett County Jail without bond for about 48 hours now. His name is Charles Outlaw, he is one of the last people seen with her, but he is not charged in this crime by any means,” Gwinnet County Police Cpl. Jake Smith told the broadcaster.
Lilburn police Capt. Thom Bardugon did not say what led them to suspect it was foul play.
“We always treat it as such until we know otherwise,” Bardugon told the Gwinnett Daily Post. “The medical examiner will do the autopsy either today or tomorrow,” Bardugon said Thursday. “That will be the best chance to figure out the cause of death.”
Lil Boosie’s Neighbors Complaining About His Parties
Rapper Lil Boosie is getting complaints from residents of a gated community in Louisiana, where he’s currently living, for loud partying. It makes sense, because after all, he’s was released from prison less than a month ago and has a lot to celebrate.
According to WGNO News, a party he threw for his mother’s 60th birthday recently spawned complaints in the English Turn community, where Boosie rents a house previously owned by Birdman.
Boosie’s mother Connie Hatch spoke with WGNO about the party, who brushed it off. “It was just a small family gathering. We’re in this neighborhood just like everybody else, you understand? Just like everybody else have parties, we have parties too.
“I just feel like we were being singled out, and we have to be fair,” she later added.
The news report says the complaints stem from minor parking violations and noise. The neighborhood association said they would issue a warning prior to any filed notices.
Rap producer gets 75 years in slaying
A man found guilty last month of the 2012 slaying of a local disc jockey was sentenced to 75 years in prison Friday.
Carlton Hart, 45, was convicted of murder and criminal confinement more than a year after Thomas “DJ” Keys, 22, was found dead in a recording studio on Nov. 15, 2012.
Hart owned the recording studio at 2230 E. 46th St. where Keys was killed. Another man, Marvin Finney, 26, was shot in the incident but survived.
Hart was the fourth man to be found guilty in the slaying.
Last October, two other men — Nathaniel Armstrong, 30, and James McDuffy, 22 — were convicted by a jury of murder and attempted murder. Armstrong was sentenced to 175 years in prison, and McDuffy was sentenced to 185 years.
In February, a Marion County jury found another man, Darin Jackson, guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal confinement. He was sentenced to 18 years.
Police suspect the men were seeking revenge for the slaying of a rapper, Brandon McMitchell, 19, who went by the name “Lil Bango.” McMitchell was shot to death four days before Keys in a different recording studio, police said.
Court records say Hart was McMitchell’s cousin.
Police said the suspects in Keys’ death believed Keys and Finney knew who killed McMitchell. They lured the pair to a recording studio, police suspect, tied them up and tried to get them to say who killed the rival rapper.
“Which one of you killed Bango?” one of the men, holding an assault rifle, asked, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Hart, known as “Sir Hart,” is a local rap producer who also faced a murder charge in a 2008 shooting. Charges were dropped because of a lack of evidence after he spent two years in jail.
Hart sued the city of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, claiming false arrest, wrongful incarceration and malicious prosecution.
A federal judge in January granted a judgment in favor of the defendants to dismiss the case, but Hart filed a notice of appeal in February.
Two more suspects, Dominique Hamler and Dontee Robinson, are scheduled for jury trial May 12.
10 NBA Players Making a Fortune Off Shoe Endorsements
NBA superstars endorsement information. courtesy of Forbes.
Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison, Licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
10. Chris Paul — $4 million — Nike (through Jordan)
Mr. Argyle. The State Farm Agent. Chris Paul. Probably the best point guard in the league, Paul makes a nice bit of cash from his CP3 shoe — currently in its eighth iteration, and marketed by Nike as #Riquickulous. Paul, who signed with Nike after his Rookie of the Year campaign in the 2004-2005 season, has a whole room in his bedroom dedicated to basketball shoes. You can see a photo his wife posted to Instagram that, in her words, shows “only a portion of the #shoes in @cp3s shoe room” below. No word on whether Paul, who is generously listed at an in-shoes 6’0 by the NBA, can reach that top shelf.
Photo Courtesy of Alberto Cabello Mayero, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
9. Blake Griffin — $6 million — Nike (through Jordan)
Coming in just ahead of his Lob City compatriot is Blake Griffin, the All-Star Power Forward who might be the biggest endorsement hound in the NBA today. At least, it feels that way, as the airwaves are saturated with his ads for Kia and Foot Locker. No complaints from us, Blake. You gotta get it while you can.
Get it he has. After signing with Jordan back in 2012, Blake’s Super.Fly signature shoe has been flying off the shelves. Almost as fast as the new Kia Optima, probably. Luckily, Griffin’s got nothing if not a sense of humor — he famously interned at Will Ferrell’s comedy website Funny or Die during the 2011 lockout — and his Foot Locker commercial from last summer confirmed that he is, in fact, in on the joke.
Photo Courtesy of LAD0T, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
8. Dwight Howard — $6 million — Adidas
Ok, this was a little surprising. Mostly because everyone hates Dwight Howard. He gets hated on by Magic fans, Lakers fans, doctors, other players, owners, and more or less everyone that isn’t on board with the Houston Rockets this year.
On the other hand, he is still the best center in the NBA right now, and the three time Defensive Player of the Year’s Adidas D Howard 4 sneaker has been a hot commodity since he signed with the brand in 2004. Ten years in, the deal seems to be working out pretty well for both sides.
Howard’s commercial game, like his post moves, need a little bit of work, though. After a turn for the serious with the Fast Don’t Lie campaign, Dwight most recently dabbled in Ghost Hunting for Footlocker. See the results for yourself (and make sure your volume is low.)
Photo Courtesy of Sportsangle.com, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
7. Amar’e Stoudemire — $6.5 million — Nike
Wait, what? Sure, back in the day, in Phoenix, Amar’e was a machine. Running a gorgeously deadly high pick and roll with Steve Nash to propel the 7 Seconds or Less Suns to serious contender status. Amar’e used to be a great basketball player. Six or Seven years ago.
Since being run ragged by Mike D’Antoni in 2011, though, STAT has been a shell of himself — 48 games. That’s how many times Amar’e has been a starter since the lockout. But here he is, at number 7 on this list. Madness. Anyway, STAT just had his latest Nike (a ‘collaboration’ with LeBron) released a couple of months ago. It actually looks pretty good. Maybe that’s where all this cash is coming from?
Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
6. Carmelo Anthony — $9 million — Nike (through Jordan)
Carmelo Anthony is an under-appreciated superstar. Some of this is his own fault. Some of this is the fact that the Knicks are awful. Whatever the case may be, it makes his new series of Jordan commericals, the latest in a long string since he signed with Team Jordan back in 2003 hilarious.
Anthony, who has an entire montage dedicated to the clutch shots he’s missed this season on Youtube, has been the captain of a sinking ship in New York this season, with his Knicks limping to a 21-36 record that’s 5.5 games out of the playoffs. That’s not really his fault, nor can you place the entire fate of a franchise on one player, and his latest shoes, the Melo M10, are pretty fly.
But does this look like the body language of a guy who’s really happy making $9 million from his shoes? No, I didn’t think so, either. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Melo’s shoe popularity if he flees the wreckage that is the New York Knicks in his impending free agency.
Photo Courtesy of Phillip Pessar, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
5. Dwyane Wade — $12 million — Li Ning
Ok, this is the one outlier on our list — Wade’s deal with Chinese shoe manufacturer Li Ning. Wade, who had grudgingly been with Nike/Jordan since 2003 when they bought Converse (his original sponsor), signed with Li Ning in 2012, becoming the biggest shoe related coup since Grant Hill signed with FILA. While Li Ning had signed shoe deals with Shaq, Baron Davis, and Evan Turner, Wade was the only real superstar to sign with the brand while he was still a superstar, even if he was on the tail end of that trajectory by 2012.
After signing with the company, Wade and Li Ning made a commercial titled “Make Your Own Way” that provided a visual accompaniment to his decision to leave Jordan and Nike and create his Way of Wade sneaker (and judging by his position on this list, Wade’s way is paying dividends.)
Photo Courtesy of Gameface-Photos, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
4. Kevin Durant — $14 million — Nike
You had to know this one was gonna be on here. Kevin Durant, bonafide basketball icon (and possible Jordan-chaser) has had a fiscally healthy relationship with Nike since signing a deal with them back in 2007. Durant, who’s latest shoe, the KD VI, comes in every size and shape you can think of — hi-top, low-top, toddlers, size 15 — and is sported by at least a few other players around the NBA is undoubtedly one of the most popular pair of kicks in the basketball sneakers world.
Despite his recent protestations that he doesn’t dig the “Slim Reaper” nickname, Durant’s got to remember that he doesn’t get to choose that one.
Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison, licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons (3)
3. Derrick Rose — $21 million — Adidas
We all remember this one. We spent a whole year watching it. DeMarcus Cousins makes jokes about it. The Return was Adidas’s 2013 ad campaign about Derrick Rose’s rehab. It was a great commercial the first time. By the hundredth time, it had lost some luster. After seeing how much Adidas was paying Rose to get back onto the court, though, all the airtime made sense.
Rose, the youngest NBA MVP ever (and it was a legitimate award — he was the best player on the best team) was the next iteration of NBA superstar, and his deal with Adidas, inked in his rookie year, had been increased to a 14-years and $250 million, according to ESPN. With his future uncertain, it’s almost a guarantee that Adidas is regretting the contract, while the rest of us are just regretting the fact that we don’t get to watch him play.
Instead of putting up that commercial (we’ve all seen it enough), here are some Rose highlights from his too-brief return in 2014.
Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison, Licensed through Flickr via Creative Commons
2. Kobe Bryant — $34 million — Nike
Did you know that Kobe was originally signed to Adidas? Back in 1996, when Kobe was just a rookie, he inked a deal with Adidas that lasted him until 2003 when he moved over to Nike. That’s a true story. If you’ve got time, Kicksologists has a comprehensive list with pictures of every one. There’s a ton. A metric ton.
After resigning with Nike in 2007, Bryant went on to cement his legacy with two more championship rings and approximately a zillion more points, residing fourth on the all time scorer’s list. Nike’s decision to stick with Bryant after his image took a huge hit in that Colorado hotel room proved to be a profitable one for all parties involved. Plus, it got him the KobeSystem ad, which is easily the best thing he’s ever done. Ever.
1. LeBron James — $42 million — Nike
It’s good to be the king. You get to hang out in your jersey getting interviewed on boats, you can seriously contemplate winning three consecutive NBA titles in a row, and your shoes make you a ton of money. Definitely makes those millions you sacrificed by joining the Heat go down easier.
James, who signed a then-record deal with Nike in 2003 for $90 million dollars, extended with the company in 2010, keeping him signed, sealed, and delivered until 2017. Really, the only thing that could’ve gone better for James and Nike would’ve been Kobe and LeBron actually meeting in the Finals. But, because they didn’t, those Nike commercials with the puppets are just hilarious filler.
Trick Daddy Arrested On Drug, Gun Possession
Florida rap vet Trick Daddy was arrested Thursday (April 3) and charged with possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to Gossip Extra, the 39-year-old rapper (real name: Maurice Young) was stopped by Sheriff’s deputies, as he pulled out of the driveway of his home. They had a warrant to search his home and found one gram of cocaine, a 9mm pistol (reportedly under his pillow) and ammo.
Local police had Trick’s Miramar home under surveillance for possibly being a marijuana growing location. So, they decided to finally serve their warrant.
Trick Daddy was arrested, booked at a local police station and released after posting $6,100 bond.