Couple Charged With E-Money Bags’ Murder

A Queens, New York couple was charged with the 2001 murder of upcoming rapper Eric “E-Money Bags” Smith, who authorities say was murdered out of revenge for alleged drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Dennis “Divine” Crosby, 38, and Nicole Brown, 42, videotaped Smith’s movements from a nearby apartment for several days and allegedly planned the […]

A Queens, New York couple was charged with the 2001 murder of

upcoming rapper Eric “E-Money Bags” Smith, who authorities say was

murdered out of revenge for alleged drug kingpin Kenneth “Supreme”

McGriff.

Dennis “Divine”

Crosby, 38, and Nicole Brown, 42, videotaped Smith’s movements from a

nearby apartment for several days and allegedly planned the murder.

Smith was allegedly

setup to avenge the murder of a McGriff associate, Colbert “Black Just”

Johnson, who was killed in a cocaine related dispute.

Smith was gunned

down in his Lincoln Navigator. Authorities said as many as 40 shots were fired

at his SUV, 10 of which struck the upcoming rapper.

The murder charges

are the first in a wider probe of links between McGriff and Murder Inc. Records.

Authorities believe that McGriff laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds

through the label.

Authorities found

the videotape in a Baltimore stash house and traced it back to Brown’s

apartment. She allegedly told authorities that her boyfriend, Crosby, ordered

her to keep an eye on E-Money Bags.

McGriff, who is

serving a prison sentence for gun violations, has been implicated in several

other murders, but has not been charged in any of the incidents.

According to reports,

the day Smith was murdered, McGriff allegedly called a cooperating witness and

said that “Black Just could finally rest in peace.”

In the past week,

authorities have charged Murder Inc. bookkeeper Cynthia Brent and Ja Rule’s

manager Ronald “Gutta” Robinson with laundering money for McGriff.

Murder Inc.’s

CEO, Irv Gotti has repeatedly denied involvement.