New York City rapper Casanova was among 18 people indicted Tuesday for multiple gang-related crimes including murder, racketeering, drugs, firearms and fraud, according to reports.
While 17 of the alleged cohorts have been taken into custody, Casanova, whose real name is Caswell Senior, remains at large and could be hiding out in New Jersey or the Atlanta area, authorities told news station PIX 11 in New York.
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The FBI announced Tuesday that its New York office is searching for the 34-year-old Brooklyn rapper who is currently under contract with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.
The company touts a “diverse roster of talent” that includes A-list stars including Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, J. Cole, DJ Khaled, Big Sean, Meek Mill and many more.
Emails seeking comment were sent to Roc Nation and the rapper’s representative but they have yet to reply, The Associated Press reported.
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Casanova faces charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and firearms possession.
Authorities accuse him and the other suspects of belonging to the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation, a street gang that operates in New York City and other parts of New York state.
One of the alleged members was charged in connection with the Sept. 21 slaying of a 15-year-old in Poughkeepsie, New York.
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The others face a litany of felony charges, among them assault, drug distribution and weapons possession. Court papers detail a robbery at gunpoint and various retaliatory shootings among other crimes. Two were also charged with falsely using other people’s identities to file for COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
“Members of Gorilla Stone committed terrible acts of violence, trafficked in narcotics, and even engaged in brazen fraud by exploiting benefits programs meant to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss, who gave a statement alongside other law enforcement officials Tuesday.
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A report by Newsweek said Casanova recently appeared on Revolt Radio’s “The Breakfast Club,” where he revealed that he was introduced to gang life at a young age. Moreover, the rapper’s bio on the Roc Nation website says Casanova was committing robberies by age 11.
The profile states:
“Casanova’s commanding presence was shaped by his Flatbush upbringing, where he learned to deal with a variety of people and situations at an early age. Although his family provided him with a nice home and everything he wanted as a child, the corrupting allure of instant gratification and the high of peer acceptance had him committing robberies by the age of 11. Casanova’s taste for crime finally caught up with him in 2006, when he was sent to prison at 19 on a robbery conviction. He worked construction jobs to take care of his family following his release in 2014, but felt unsatisfied with life.”
Casanova also said he spent eight years in prison, and that he was rapper ASAP Rocky’s cellmate for a hot minute.
Another rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine, mentioned Casanova during his controversial 2019 testimony against his former gang associates in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, saying they had once clashed with Casanova’s crew.
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Casanova said he confronted Tekashi in October about his testimony, telling the Hot97 Morning Show that “He took trolling to a whole other level. But at the end of the day, when I spoke to him, he was like, “Cas, I don’t even know you.” He was speaking proper English. And I said this is really a little kid.”
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