The Inc. CEO Irv “Gotti”
Lorenzo and his brother Christopher are the subject of a federal investigation
into the beating death of a New York drug dealer, according to the New York
Post.
The government is investigation
the 1993 beating of a man named Anthony Sylvester, who was beaten with a two-by-four
“embedded with nails.”
Federal authorities are
investigating Irv and his elder brother Christopher’s role in the beating,
which they believe is drug related.
Sylvester’s body was
dumped in a vacant lot in Manhattan. He survived his wounds, but was comatose
for eight months.
Sylvester survived ten years
with 24-hour medical attention and according to The New York Post, succumbed
to his wounds in October of 2003.
The NYPD recently produced
new witnesses and evidence to federal agents, who may go before a grand jury
to obtain a murder charge against the Lorenzo’s.
Christopher Lorenzo’s
lawyer Gerald Shargel dismissed the allegations and said in 1993 the Lorenzo’s
"were just hardworking kids just trying to make it as construction workers."
Both Lorenzo’s have
already pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges in a 37-page indictment
that was unsealed January 26th.
A source told AllHipHop.com
that the government was seeking to charge the brothers with murder, but had
not collected enough evidence.
"The government has
been trying to charge Irv with murder, they aren’t happy with the tax charges,"
a source close to the case told AllHipHop.com. "Most people assumed it
would be a murder Irv may have had prior knowledge of, so this is surprising.
This is a way to accuse him of something that could lead to real prison time
and force him to enter a plea."
“They weren’t
happy with just the money laundering charges,” a source close to the investigation
told AllHipHop.com. “They have been actively seeking to charge them with
murder.”
The Lorenzo’s are
charged with helping Queens, New York drug dealer Kenneth “Supreme”
McGriff launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through the Murder Inc.
record label, home to multi-platinum singing star Ashanti and hit rapper Ja
Rule.
McGriff has already been
charged with the 2001 revenge slaying of Queen’s rapper Eric "E-Money Bags"
Smith.
The Lorenzo brothers surrendered
to the FBI and are free on $1 million dollars bond each.
