Brooklyn rapper Casanova is asking for a reduction of his 15-year sentence, claiming his “extraordinary acceptance of responsibility” for racketeering with the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang warrants the reward.
The foundation of his plea for leniency is his belief that his actions during an altercation at the Good Stuff Diner in New York in 2018 did not legally constitute a “robbery” under New York State law.
Casanova was one of 18 defendants charged in a sweeping Racketeering case for drug dealing, murder, attempted murder and other crimes committed by the Gorilla Stone gang.
A significant portion of Casanova’s sentencing was over the incident where he removed a cellphone from Niya Rucker, who was recording him at the diner. Rucker claimed that Casanova’s associates assaulted, choked, cut, and broke her jaw while retrieving her phone to delete the footage.
Subsequently, Casanova faced two counts of felony robbery. The rapper and his lawyer, Scott Leemon, refuted these accusations, with Leemon stating that Rucker left the diner with her phone, suggesting no robbery occurred.
Casanova’s motion for a reduction stresses that his actions did not meet the legal definition of a “robbery.” Robbery is defined as forceful stealing involving the use or threat of physical force during a larceny. Larceny requires an intent to permanently deprive someone of their property.
Casanova’s defense posits that he had no intention of permanently keeping the cellphone, and since he returned it after deleting the video, his actions were neither larceny nor robbery.
Casanova’s acknowledgment of a crime he believes was more severe than what was actually committed demonstrates his extraordinary acceptance of responsibility. He does not challenge the validity of his conviction or sentence but believes his acceptance warrants a reduction in his prison term.
The rapper has also formally appealed the 15-year prison sentence after he renounced his membership in the gang and expressed a strong desire to sever all ties.
However, this public dissociation came at a high personal cost. Shortly after his renouncement, Casanova was attacked within the confines of Essex County Jail on June 14, 2023 resulting in injuries that required stitches on both his head and hands.