James Rosemond

James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond (sometimes spelled Jimmy Henchmen^[4][5]) (born February 5, 1965)^[6] is an American former businessman involved in the rap music industry and convicted drug trafficker.^[7]

Early life and education

James J. Rosemond was born in 1965 and grew up in a Brooklyn, New York housing project called Vanderveer. His parents migrated from Haiti in the 1960s. His parents divorced when he was young leaving his mother to raise five children alone.^[8]

Entertainment career

Rosemond and several friends founded the music conference "How Can I Be Down" in 1992.^[9][10]

In 2002, Rosemond negotiated the fight between Mike Tyson and Lenox Lewis. It was the first time that a boxer demanded that after a million buys on pay-per-view, the boxers would split the purse 50–50 with Showtime/HBO.^[11][12]

In 2003, Rosemond along with the artist, he managed, joined Russell Simmons in his campaign to end New York's draconian drug law known as the Rockefeller drug laws.^[13][14]

He was one of several entertainment managers that were asked by the Obama campaign to use their influence to assist in securing votes for Obama in his 2008 run to for President of the United States. Rosemond and his peers as well as their clients were special invited guests at the President's first Inauguration held on Tuesday, January 20, 2009; where they were greeted with a private speech from President Obama.^[15]

Rosemond along with Shakim Compere and Mona Scott, executive produced BET’s “SOS Saving Ourselves: Help for Haiti,” a telethon held at Miami’s American Airlines Arena on February 5, 2010, to raise money for the devastated victims of the deadly earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 that killed close to 200,000 people.^[16]

Circa 1996 Rosemond founded Henchmen Entertainment, the company that would later become the rap management company Czar Entertainment.^[17] He was the CEO of Czar Entertainment,^[18] when it managed The Game, Sean Kingston, Brandy, Gucci Mane, Salt-n-Pepa and Akon.^[19] He was a known figure in the hip hop music industry, described in a 2012 The New York Times article as "a prince at the royal court, whose ties to rap music’s biggest stars were known far and wide."^[20] Rosemond was behind Salt-n-Pepa's "Shoop"^[21] and he was The Game's manager during a feud with 50 Cent when The Game recorded the diss track "300 Bars and Runnin'"^[19] In 2006, Henchman and 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) settled a lawsuit regarding a DVD that Czar Entertainment released about 50 Cent's namesake, Kelvin "50 Cent" Martin, in which interviews with Jackson were alleged to have been inappropriately used. In the settlement, a charity was created with funds going to support Martin and his children.^[22]

Criminal charges and conviction

Drug trafficking, money laundering and witness tampering convictions

In June 2011, he was arrested on charges of cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering. Rosemond went on trial in May 2012, represented by Gerald Shargel.^[23]

On June 5, 2012, Rosemond was convicted in Federal District Court in Brooklyn of drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, firearms violations and other financial crimes associated with his position as head of a multi-million-dollar transnational cocaine-selling organization.^[24] At trial, it was alleged that Rosemond led the large scale, bi-coastal narcotics-trafficking organization that transported cocaine from Los Angeles, California to the New York metropolitan area. The group, known as the "Rosemond Organization," in turn shipped cash proceeds from the narcotics sales back to Los Angeles using a variety of methods as part of its operation. Millions of dollars in cash and narcotics were sent through Federal Express and United Parcel Service, often covered in mustard to avoid discovery by detection dogs.^[25] In the indictment, prosecutors noted that Rosemond made over $11 million a year since 2007 through his drug trafficking scheme.^[26]

On October 25, 2013, Rosemond was sentenced to life imprisonment.^[1][7][27] As part of his sentence, Rosemond forfeited approximately $14 million in cash and property.^[25] United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch said that Rosemond's carefully crafted image as a music mogul was in reality "a cover for the real Jimmy Rosemond - a thug in a suit."^[27] Presiding judge John Gleeson remarked that he would have sentenced Rosemond to life even if it were not legally required as his crimes were "astonishing in their breadth, duration and intensity." ^[27]

On March 10, 2016, Rosemond filed a habeas corpus appeal seeking a new trial along with a complaint to the U.S. Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility against former U.S. Attorney Todd Kaminsky citing actions taken with regard to securing testimony from the government's lead witness Henry "Black" Butler.^[28][29]

Murder for hire

In June 2012, Rosemond was charged with four crimes^[30] in connection with the death of G-Unit affiliate Lowell "Lodi Mack" Fletcher, including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder.^[31] Rosemond is alleged to have arranged a murder as payback for the alleged assault on his son by G-Unit member Tony Yayo.^[32] The trial began on February 10, 2014 in a New York^[33] federal court.^[30] More than 35 witnesses testified at the trial. Closing arguments finished on March 4, 2014.^[30] The jury deliberations resulted in a hung jury on the four counts for both Rosemond and co-defendant Johnson.^[34] Rosemond came before a jury again in December 2014 and on December 11 the jury found him guilty on all charges for the murder of Lowell “Lodi Mack” Fletcher.^[35]

On March 23, 2015, Rosemond was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years by Judge Colleen McMahon in his murder-for-hire case.^[36]

Personal life

Rosemond has a son, James Rosemond, Jr., with Cynthia Reed of Staten Island.^[37]

In 2008, the LA Times retracted and apologized for a story which had alleged that Rosemond had been involved in a criminal event.^[38] The story was based on documents created by a person convicted of fraud that had been falsely believed to be from an FBI file.^[38]

In Popular Culture

Rosemond is profiled in the 2016 documentary series Unjust Justice: The Jimmy Rosemond Tapes, an investigative look into his life and criminal cases.^[39]

Henchmen is mentioned by name by legendary rapper Tupac Shakur in his song 'Against all odds' on his Makaveli album in which Tupac says "promise to payback Jimmy Henchmen in due time." It was believed by Tupac and others that Henchmen was involved in planning the shooting and robbery of the rapper at the quad city recording studios in November of 1994.

American rapper Rick Ross acknowledges Rosemond as a mentor in his song "Ghostwriter" from the album Black Market: "Remember receiving words of wisdom from Jimmy Henchman I lit a blunt in his honor when he received his sentence." ^[40]

References

External links

• Supporters' Website
• James Rosemond at the Internet Movie Database