YNW Melly’s co-defendant, YNW Bortlen, has been arrested on witness tampering charges.
Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Henry, was reportedly apprehended following a raid, per Law & Crime’s Bryson Paul. He was reportedly arrested in Miami Florida, and booked into Miami-Dade County on Out-of-County Warrant at 10:22 PM on Monday (October 2).
#YNWBortlenTrial: @YNWBortlen was arrested with witness tampering charges following a home raid by law enforcement on Monday evening (October 2) in Miami, Florida. Bortlen, real name Cortlen Henry, was booked into Miami-Dade County on Out-of-County Warrant at 10:22 PM.
— Bryson “Boom” Paul (@brysonboompaul) October 3, 2023
Bortlen… pic.twitter.com/PgwQtQeqFr
YNW Melly is accused of shooting and killing his friends after a studio session. Prosecutors say Melly and his alleged accomplice, YNW Bortlen, staged a drive-by shooting in an attempt to cover up the murder.
Judge John Murphy declared a mistrial in YNW Melly’s first murder trial, which ended in July with a hung jury. Jury selection for Melly’s retrial is scheduled to begin on October 9. YNW Bortlen will be tried separately.
YNW Bortlen, who has been out on bond with monitor since August 2021, was originally slated to begin his trial on the day he was arrested. However, a Florida judge rescheduled a hearing in his double murder case, pushing the court date back to January 12, 2024.
Judge Murphy denied YNW Melly’s request for bond in August. The rapper has remained behind bars since his 2019 arrest.
Meanwhile, YNW Melly is attempting to get the double murder case dismissed. In a motion filed last month (September 26), his lawyers accused the Broward County State Attorney’s Office of prosecutorial misconduct. Melly’s attorneys made allegations that the prosecutors withheld evidence about the lead investigator in the case.
Judge Murphy is yet to make a decision on the motion to dismiss.