Federal prosecutors have charged 25 people, including several rappers connected to a San Francisco Bay area music label, with taking part in a nationwide drug ring that specialized in Ecstasy.
Investigators seized 45,000 Ecstasy pills along with crack cocaine, heroin and $200,000 in suspected profits tied to the Vallejo-based drug trafficking operation. Properties totaling 230 acres were forfeited.
Many of the suspects are associated with Thizz Entertainment, a popular label on the Bay Area's rap scene, the Contra Costa Times reported Tuesday ( http://bit.ly/JHjbbc ). "Thizz" is slang for the feeling of being high on Ecstasy.
Suspects from various California cities as well as New York and Oklahoma City were arrested Thursday, said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner of California's Eastern District.
Federal agents uncovered the distribution operation, which trafficked in Ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, Oxycodone and marijuana, prosecutors said. The drugs were shipped to Oklahoma City; Queens, N.Y.; Atlanta; and Milwaukee, Wis.
More than 60 artists have performed on the Thizz label founded by Mac Dre, a rapper well-known in Northern California who was killed in 2004 after performing in Kansas City, Mo. The music is known for its playful themes and emphasis on the party lifestyle.
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you have a comment regarding the post above, please feel free to leave it here.