These details however, have not done much for the iconic reggae star. Buju's attorney David Oscar Markus claims that there is not enough information about this informant to conduct a cross-examination at the trial.
The people who know and love Buju, have speculated over a possible set-up. They deny that Buju could ever do something like this. Long time collaborator and fellow reggae star, Red Rat has this to say:
"Everybody's surprised, everybody's saying it's got to be a set-up," says Red Rat, who lives in both Miami and Jamaica. "We don't know Buju as that type of person. We know Buju as the revolutionary that he is, the one who sings about love and uplifting yourself as a people in the dancehall reggae world. Yeah, he did 'Boom Bye Bye,' but that was a young Buju."
Buju's fans have also spoken out abou the speculated 'set up.'
"They are convinced it's directly connected to the concert he had recently," said Winston Barnes, a Mirarmar city commissioner and host of a popular Jamaican talk show on WAVS (1170-AM). "What they are saying is that he got off that time and they are fixing him now." Barnes tried without success to reason with callers, most of whom also viewed the arrest as an attack on reggae music. "It is one big mess." In Jamaica, people clamored for details of the arrest, decrying it on radio and on street corners. "A lot of people are wondering if it has any links with the fight against him," well-known Jamaican dub poet Mutabaruka said from Kingston. "We are trying to get more information."
Reports have claimed that two things could reduce Buju's sentence: his iconic status, and if he gives up certain information. Whether either will help him, are unknown at this time. Buju's trial date is currently set for April 19th and he faces between 20-30 years if convicted. We will definitely keep you updated on this situation.
Few Interesting Details About The Government Snitch
He transported over 2,000 kilos of cocaine and 3-4,000 kilos of marijuana between 1984 and 1993.
He was convicted in South Florida in 1993 of distributing cocaine in a case that brought a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years.
He has been paid 3.3 million dollars for helping law enforcement (DEA, Customs, FBI, Sarasota PDs) in numerous cases over several years.
He is a legal permanent resident of the United States from Colombia and was granted that immigration status only after law enforcement requested it.
He is paid on a contingency basis and looks to collect approximately $35,000 from the Banton case.
His credibility was called into questions by one judge who doubted the truthfulness of his testimony in a previous case.
He is currently involved in a tax dispute with the IRS.
He has worked consistently with Assistant US Attorney James Preston, the prosecutor handling Banton's case, for the last 10 years.
Written By: XperienceJ
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