Criminal charges against rapper G-Unit member Tony Yayo were dismissed today (February 14), although the rapper pled guilty to a violation, regarding an incident last March involving the 14-year-old son of a rival music executive.
In March of 2007, Yayo, born Marvin Bernard, was accused of backhanding the son of music executive Jimmy "Henchmen" Rosemond, who manages a number of top rappers, including G-Unit rival The Game.
Yayo and several associates were accused of surrounding the boy and backhanding him across the face for wearing a Czar Entertainment T-shirt during an altercation on W. 25th street in New York.
The street houses offices for both G-Unit’s management Violator and Rosemond’s Czar Entertainment and has been the scene of several other violent incidents in the past.
According to Leemon, Yayo agreed to the plea to avoid a trial and labeled the violation a "glorified traffic ticket" that will not effect the rapper’s criminal record at all.
Yayo will serve 60 days community service, while Fletcher was sentenced to nine months in prison for his role in striking the boy.
Leemon also accused the Hip-Hop police of "burying" information that would have ended the court proceedings months ago.
In January, Yayo won a significant victory, when it was discovered that two members of the Hip- Hop Police Squad interviewed an associate of Yayo’s named Lowell Fletcher on two separate occasions.
Fletcher, who is a longtime associate of Yayo’s, admitted to assaulting the child the on the night of his arrest in March of 2007.
He admitted to the assault again, while being interviewed on unrelated criminal charges in August of 2007.
Fletcher claimed that it was he who had assaulted the child and that Yayo restrained him.
"Tony Yayo did not hit anyone and would never do anything to harm a child," Yayo’s attorney Scott Leemon told AllHipHop.com. "This fact was confirmed by Mr. Fletcher when he told members of the Notorious Hip-Hop police in August that he did this on his own. The Hip-Hop police buried this helpful information and the charges against Tony Yayo proceeded until today. Without a doubt, today’s proceedings have validated Mr. Bernard’s claims that he was falsely accused."
Yayo, who faced 9 months in prison, plead not guilty to the criminal charges.
According to Leemon, Yayo pleaded guilty to a violation for being simply becoming involved in the fracas and restraining Fletcher.
"All that Tony Yayo admitted to doing was getting out of the car and glaring at the victim," Leemon said. "Once he realized what Fletcher was doing, he went and grabbed Fletcher to pull him away from the victim. This was not criminal and the DA’s office agreed by only pursuing the violation."
In related news, sources told AllHipHop.com that Henchmen’s son was recording readying a number of tracks as Lil’ Henchmen.
