Rainbow-haired rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who pleaded guilty in January to peddling heroin and hiring someone to shoot a rival rapper, has added some legal firepower: lawyer-to-the-stars Alex Spiro, whose clients have included Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Jay-Z.
The Brooklyn-born Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, has been cooperating with the government since taking the plea deal, and 10 members of his old crew, the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods have taken guilty pleas as well.
Spiro has recently had some big wins in the courtroom. He represents Kraft in a prostitution case in Florida and, in May, a judge ruled that prosecutors can’t use video evidence from a spa where Kraft allegedly received sexual services ahead of the Super Bowl.
Also this year, Spiro represented Jay-Z in his effort to diversify a “too white” arbitration panel that was hearing the rap mogul’s trademark dispute with clothing company Iconix.
Aside from Kraft, Spiro has also represented some big names in sports. Former Knicks player Charles Oakley hired him last year after he was caught trying to cheat at a game of Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em at a Las Vegas casino — Oakley ended up pleading no contest and had to pay a $1,000 fine.
In the Tekashi case, Spiro joins a team of attorneys that includes Dawn Florio, who has had her own brushes with the law — in 2005, she was busted for trying to smuggle a turkey sandwich and hundreds of pills to one of her clients. Charges against her were later dropped.
So far, 10 purported members of Nine Trey, which was behind shootings at Barclays Center and outside a Times Square hotel, have copped to guilty pleas.
But alleged Nine Trey member Anthony Ellison, who is charged with kidnapping and beating up Tekashi after a video shoot and robbing $750,000 worth of jewelry and $20,000 from the “Bebe” rapper, is holding firm and plans to go to trial in September, where Tekashi is expected to be put on the witness stand.
Ellison’s attorney says he will work to poke holes in the rainbow-haired rapper’s story.
Mr. Hernandez has perfected the art of trolling, fabrication and, most importantly, marketing and I think all of that will be demonstrated at trial,” said defense attorney Deveraux Cannick.
In response to Cannick’s comment, Spiro said: “I’m not going to grace that comment with a response,” and declined to comment further.
Source: Read Full Article
