Turk Still In Jail, Release Rumors False

Contrary to rumors that Cash Money rapper Young Turk was recently released from prison, his camp has confirmed that the former Hot Boys member remains incarcerated. "Whether or not Turk is still in jail or not is starting to become [like] the speculation of Tupac still alive," Turk’s former publicist Phyllis Pollack of Def Press […]

Contrary to rumors

that Cash Money rapper Young Turk was recently released from prison, his camp

has confirmed that the former Hot Boys member remains incarcerated.

"Whether or not Turk

is still in jail or not is starting to become [like] the speculation of Tupac

still alive," Turk’s former publicist Phyllis Pollack of Def Press told

AllHipHop.com. "He’s still there," said Pollack, who still follows

Turk’s legal proceedings and worked publicity on the album that coincided with

his case.

Federal agents arrested

Tab "Turk" Virgil on one charge of attempted murder in January 2004.

A Memphis SWAT team reportedly broke into an apartment where Turk, 22 at the

time, had been residing while recording his third solo album Penitentiary Charges,

released last April.

Police alleged that they

were serving a search warrant for drugs. A small amount of drugs were uncovered,

but no assault weapons were found, according to reports.

Turk told investigators

he hid in a closet when police raided the apartment. The New Orleans-based rapper

also claimed that cops failed to identify themselves and began shooting while

he was in the closet.

Memphis’ Shelby County detectives

alleged that Turk shot at deputies during the drug raid.

"Turk

says he did not have a gun when he was in the closet, he didn’t shoot anybody,"

said Pollack. "And from what I have been told from sources in the case,

the DNA has come back that his prints were not on the gun and they can’t legally,

with evidence, pin this gun to him at all."

According to Pollack, police

claimed there was footage of Turk shooting the cop that would be used for a

music video. "They had a spokesperson from the sheriff’s department come

out and say it on the news," said Pollack. "There is no such footage."

Turk was initially held

on two charges. Authorities alleged that Turk shot two Shelby County Sheriffs

deputies. The second charge was dropped when ballistics tests indicated that

the second officer wounded was actually shot by another officer present at the

scene.

Shelby County Judge Loyce

Lambert Ryan ruled in April 2004 that there was no sufficient evidence to charge

Turk with first degree murder and lowered the charges to second degree murder.

A federal grand jury subsequently

indicted Turk as a felon in possession of a gun due to his prior conviction

for felony heroin possession in Louisiana.

"Originally, he was

going to be let out on bail," said Pollack. "All of a sudden, there

were federal charges that came in, claiming [that] he had a weapon and it’s

a violation of parole."

As for a timetable to when

Turk will be released, an exact date was uncertain as of press time.

"It’s so absurd he’s

even still there," said Pollack. "All anybody can do is hope he can

get out of there in a timely fashion because now it’s been about a year."

Turk is currently being

held in Shelby County Jail and maintains his innocence in the shooting incident.

Turk’s lawyers have declined

to discuss the case.