Closing argument in the federal cocaine case of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond took place today (June 1) in Brooklyn Federal Court.
The prosecution rested their case against Rosemond late in the afternoon yesterday (May 31), paving the way for today’s closing arguments.
A number of friends, supporters and agents (including lead DEA case agent Steve Miller, who wore a custom-made t-shirt paying homage to the ‘God Father’ movie) packed Judge John Gleeson’s courtroom, to hear the closing statements.
James Rosemond’s defense attorney Gerald Shargel decided not to present any witnesses for Rosemond, opting instead, to leave the burden of proof on prosecutors.
Prosecutors presented evidence that they claimed connected James Rosemond to a cocaine conspiracy, that raked in millions in drug proceeds, earning over $14 million in 2010 alone.
Prosecutors labeled Rosemond as the “boss” of the Rosemond Organization, which they branded a Continuous Criminal Enterprise (CCE), which shipped thousands of kilos of cocaine annually.
The organization is accused of importing 20-40 kilos weekly, from the West Coast to New York, in music cases designed to store equipment.
The organization used a variety of overnight courier services throughout the years to ship the drugs, in addition to receiving millions of dollars in drug proceeds.
From 2007-2010, prosecutors claimed that Rosemond’s business Czar Entertainment, only deposited $45,915 in legitimate income.
But Rosemond, who represented acts like Game, Brandy, Akon, Mario Winans, Mike Tyson, Trillville and numerous others, managed to earn millions, despite a downturn in business that started around 2008-2009.
“The defendant’s music business was not a cash business that could generate this kind of cash,” prosecutors said in their closing arguments. “The defendant’s business was not doing very well in the years that the defendant was living very well. Even though his music business was crashing, the defendant continued to spend millions in cash. He created this high-flying lifestyle and it was funded through his drug business.”
James Rosemond’s defense attorney Gerald Shargel said the government’s case was based solely on circumstantial evidence and failed to connect his client to the drug conspiracy in any way.
Shargel noted that most of the witnesses the prosecution put on the stand are facing life sentences, which gave each one a motive to lie, in order to gain their freedom.
Shargel said each witness had perjured himself, labeled each one a proven liar and said the government was a victim of “confirmation bias.”
He also denied the government’s allegations that James Rosemond was a season cocaine trafficker.
“One thing you learned is that Czar Entertainment is not a front, it was a real business. Mike Tyson was a client, Al Sharpton was a client,” Gerald Shargel said, contradicting Sharpton’s recent assertion that he didn’t have a relationship with Rosemond.
Shargel noted that there was no physical evidence – or forensic evidence for that matter – linking Rosemond to the drug conspiracy.
Shargel admitted that business did decline for Rosemond from 2008-2011, but noted that the government didn’t provide proof that Rosemond had not earned his millions prior to the music industry downturn, beginning in 2008-2009.
“Jimmy Rosemond was the victim of a crooked accountant who committed fraud,” Gerald Shargel said in reference to Rosemond’s former accountant John Dash, who admitted to mortgage fraud and other crimes on the witness stand during testimony.
“Jimmy Rosemond was relying on the wrong person, but he didn’t do it intentionally,” Shargel said.
“Jimmy’s lawyer Gerald Shargel has put on a good defense and so now we’re at the point of deliberating and his family, supporters and myself are anxious, yet like Jimmy, we have faith in a higher power – God,” Rosemond’s publicist Sibrena Stowe de Fernandez told AllHipHop.com, adding that Rosemond was in “good spirits.”
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