Two men associated
with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy
charges.
John Ragin, who co-produced the movie Crime Partners, which was allegedly used
by McGriff to help clean up drug proceeds and Derek Hayes, have agreed to a
plea bargains with prosecutors investigating Murder Inc.’s ties to McGriff and
the drug trade.
Ragin, 34, pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and money laundering and faces
15 to 19 1/2 years in prison when he is sentenced October 31.
Ragin owned a Tuxedo Rentals. The shop that moved over $500,000 through the
company’s bank account between 1998 and 2001, despite the fact the company had
no legitimate business.
The tuxedo shop was used as a front for laundering proceeds from a stolen credit
cards. When Ragin’s address was raided, authorities found more than 1,000 credit
cards and duplicating machines.
Several of the SUV’s registered in the shop’s name were also linked to burglaries
and a homicide.
Sources told AllHipHop.com in January that the victim was a friend of McGriff,
known as Black Just.
"Just was Preme’s true friend," the source told AllHipHop.com. "Preme
was the driver of the SUV that dropped Just at the hospital. The only blame
that belongs to Preme is not taking Just straight to the hospital while the
main artery in Just’s leg poured out blood. This delay caused Just to bleed
to death while Preme frantically tried to find someone else to take Just. Preme
wanted no connection to Just or a shooting…"
Just was allegedly shot and murdered by Queen’s rapper, E-Money Bags, who was
subsequently shot 10 times and murdered.
Hayes, 39, pleaded guilty to making illegal bank deposits and faces six months
to a year in prison when he is sentenced October 6.
McGriff was sentenced to 37 months in prison in June for illegally possessing
a handgun as a convicted felon, after firing a gun at a firing range in Maryland.
"There’s no reason for you to keep your skills up," U.S. District
Judge J. Frederick Motz told McGriff after he was sentenced.
McGriff is also under investigation for a double homicide. His prints were allegedly
found in a a drug stash house in Owings Mills, Maryland, along with large amounts
of cocaine and promotional items from the "Crime Partners" movie.