A former bodyguard for Fat Joe was arrested yesterday and charged with a 1994 murder, which the rapper allegedly witnessed. According to the New York Times, Jose Mulero, 38, was charged with murder, tampering with evidence and weapons charges, after being accused of shooting Ernesto Rivera, 16, on April 15, 1994. Fat Joe is under investigation in connection with the shooting, but authorities said the rapper was cooperating. Lawyers for Fat Joe denied that he knew anything about the shooting. They also denied that he was an eyewitness to the murder. "Joe received a subpoena," Joe’s Lawyer Peter Frankel said. "Joe responded to the subpoena as he was under the obligation to do, and that was the extent of his cooperation. Joe was not an eyewitness to a homicide. He knows nothing about a homicide. He didn’t see anything." According to reports, the shooting happened outside of a social club that Fat Joe ran. Two groups of men had fought earlier in the night. They met up by coincidence outside of the club and started fighting. Mulero was working as a security guard outside of the club. Authorities claim Mulero fired his pistol three times striking and killing the teen. Police allege Mulero then dragged Rivera across the street and dumped him in a vacant lot. While Joe said he heard the shooting and witnessed people fleeing, investigators are seeking to determine if the rapper was closer to Mulero and what he may have seen. Mulero was arrested in a federal prison in Pennsylvania. He was serving 92 months for a 2000 weapons conviction.
A former bodyguard
for Fat Joe was arrested yesterday and charged with a 1994 murder, which the rapper
allegedly witnessed.
According to the
New York Times, Jose Mulero, 38, was charged with murder, tampering with evidence
and weapons charges, after being accused of shooting Ernesto Rivera, 16, on
April 15, 1994.
Fat Joe is under
investigation in connection with the shooting, but authorities said the rapper
was cooperating.
Lawyers for Fat
Joe denied that he knew anything about the shooting. They also denied that he
was an eyewitness to the murder.
"Joe received
a subpoena," Joe’s Lawyer Peter Frankel said. "Joe responded
to the subpoena as he was under the obligation to do, and that was the extent
of his cooperation. Joe was not an eyewitness to a homicide. He knows nothing
about a homicide. He didn’t see anything."
According to reports,
the shooting happened outside of a social club that Fat Joe ran. Two groups
of men had fought earlier in the night.
They met up by
coincidence outside of the club and started fighting. Mulero was working as
a security guard outside of the club.
Authorities claim
Mulero fired his pistol three times striking and killing the teen. Police allege
Mulero then dragged Rivera across the street and dumped him in a vacant lot.
While Joe said
he heard the shooting and witnessed people fleeing, investigators are seeking
to determine if the rapper was closer to Mulero and what he may have seen.
Mulero was arrested
in a federal prison in Pennsylvania. He was serving 92 months for a 2000 weapons
conviction.
