(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop has a strange connection to the OWN reality series “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” and the 2016 murder of the show’s star, Andre Montgomery.
“Sweetie Pie’s” was a successful restaurant empire in St. Louis founded by Robbie Montgomery, a former Ikette with legendary singer Tina Turner.
Oprah fell in love with her vivacious personality and interesting family dynamic. O offered the family a reality series on OWN in 2011.
But things fell apart when Robbie sued her son James Timothy Norman in 2016, for trying to pimp her franchise name and stealing money. The two settled in 2017. Robbie opened a new restaurant earlier this year.
Andre, Robbie’s beloved grandson, was murdered around the time of the fallout between mother and son.
According to Fox News, Andre Montgomery’s murder was set up by his uncle, and fellow co-star.
It is alleged that Norman hired an exotic dancer to set him up and now the U.S. Attorney’s office is suggesting that the reason was for-profit and is connected to one of the Midwest’s biggest rap stars.
Norman is being charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. He did not act alone but was allegedly supported by Hip-Hop producer turned insurance agent, Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam.
Before entering into the insurance world, Yaghnam was one of the producers for the multi-platinum album, Nellyville with the three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper, Nelly.
Yaghnam also was a collaborator with Basement Beats, and though not credited by name, is responsible partially for Country Grammar.
Yaghnam, who is also called “Wally,” acted as the insurance broker for Norman and the pair orchestrated an illegal purchase of insurance policies on Montgomery totaling $450,000.
Yaghnam allegedly did so by falsifying statements on the life insurance applications for Andre Montgomery and misstated the nephew’s net worth, income, medical history, employment, and family background.
Starting in 2014, Yaghnam and Norman began their murderous plot by submitting three fake applications on Andre Montgomery’s life.
From these efforts, Norman was able to secure a $200,000 policy, a $200,000 accidental death rider, and another $50,000 rider that would pay out to Norman if Montgomery died before he turned 28-years-old, or ten years after his 18th birthday.
Tragically, Andre Montgomery was gunned down in March of 2016 when he was just 21-years-old.