An incarcerated man proclaimed himself the reincarnation of Tupac Shakur and demanded access to the late rapper’s wealth.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, an inmate named Tarnell Leon Jones filed a lawsuit to take Tupac’s identity.
Jones claimed he was Tupac Shakur returned from the dead. Jones admitted he did not look like Pac and could not remember the rapper’s social security number. He provided publicly known information, like Tupac’s birthday and the date of the infamous shooting at the Quad in New York, which many say sparked the “East Coast/West Coast” war in hip-hop.
But, Jones maintained that if he were allowed to undergo some elaborate medical tests, the world would see that he has two blood types – and possibly two hearts.
Jones told the court to Google his full name because it somehow translates to Tupac’s “reincarnation name.” He also sought damages for incidents that occurred in the ’90s and requested any documents pertaining to Tupac’s identity.
“[Jones] alleges that he was shot by police officers in New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta between 1992 and 1995,” United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez wrote. “He also alleges that a backpack containing more than $1 million was ‘robbed’ from him, although he has not specified who took it or where this event occurred. [Jones] seeks reimbursement for the medical expenses that he incurred because of these events.”
The judge added, “He further demands that the Court restore his birth certificate, Social Security number, all other forms of identification, and ‘my life’ more generally. Plaintiff also wants other financial assets to which Mr. Shakur would be entitled if he were alive today: his songs, music studios, cars, trucks, and houses.”
Judge Gonzalez dismissed the case, deeming it to be frivolous. The judge noted Jones is a “prolific litigator” who’s had at least two other cases dismissed for being foolish.
“Plaintiff’s complaint is nonsensical and does not present any cognizable federal claims that could possibly have occurred within any relevant statute of limitations period,” Judge Gonzales wrote.
Jones filed at least 13 lawsuits in the past decade in Colorado, where he’s incarcerated in the San Carlos Correctional Facility. He submitted the Tupac claims in New York.
Judge Gonzalez dismissed Jones’ claims with prejudice, which means the inmate can’t refile the lawsuit.
