An associate of Murder Inc. and Kenneth "Supreme"
McGriff has entered into the Witness Protection Program and is cooperating with
federal prosecutors.
Jon Ragin, 35, was arrested last year on money
laundering and credit card fraud charges, after he attempted to launder over
$500,000 between 1998 and 2001 through a phony tuxedo rental business.
Ragin, who co-produced the movie "Crime
Partners," which was allegedly used by McGriff to help clean up drug proceeds
agreed to a plea bargain with prosecutors last year. He admitted to sinking
$300,000 into the movie, which starred Ice-T, Snoop Dogg and Ja Rule.
The tuxedo shop was allegedly used as a front
for laundering proceeds from stolen credit cards and drugs. When Ragin’s address
was raided, authorities found more than 1,000 credit cards and duplicating machines.
By cooperating, Ragin is attempting to have some
of the 15 to 19 1/2 years in prison he is facing reduced. Ragin has been aiding
federal prosecutors for six months.
"Currently, he is assisting the government
in an ongoing investigation of a racketeering enterprise responsible for engaging
in widespread narcotics distribution and money laundering and committing homicides
and other acts of violence," wrote Roslynn Mauskopf, United States Attorney
in the Eastern District of New York to the presiding judge, Honorable Carol
B. Amon.
Last year sources stated McGriff allegedly gave
a fictitious name when he was arrested for a parole violation and claimed he
was an employee of Def Jam.
The name was supposedly the one he was being
paid under.
An affidavit filed by investigators responsible
for the raid of the Murder Inc. offices also asserted McGriff may have played
a role in the stabbing of 50 Cent outside of the Hit Factory in 2000. McGriff
is also being investigated for as many as nine murders.
Federal prosecutors maintain that Murder Inc.
was founded by McGriff using drug proceeds.
Gotti has previously denied any wrongdoing and
said that Murder Inc. was founded using $2 million dollars in seed money from
Def Jam.