FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Three men were found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot outside a South Florida motorcycle shop while being robbed of $50,000.
Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, were also convicted of armed robbery by a jury that rendered its verdict less than an hour after beginning its eighth day of deliberations.
Their sentencing, which Circuit Judge Michael Usan set for April 6, will largely be a formality; Florida law dictates a life sentence for first-degree murder convictions.
The defendants, two dressed in suits and one in a button-down shirt, showed little emotion as they stood one by one to be handcuffed by a bailiff. There was no audible reaction from family members and other observers in the courtroom. Before the verdicts were read, Usan warned that anyone who caused any kind of disruption would be held in contempt of court.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office thanked the jurors and prosecutors in a statement but said it would not comment further until the sentencing.
Williams’ attorney, Mauricio Padilla, told The Associated Press that he doesn’t feel his client was afforded a fair trial. He noted that a crucial defense witness was stricken and that he was prohibited from deposing a key witness. Phone messages were left with attorneys representing Boatright and Newsome.
“It is obvious from the days the jury was deliberating that they had questions and I only wish I would have been able to properly defend my client,” Padilla said in an email.
During the monthlong trial, prosecutors linked Boatwright, Williams and Newsome to the June 18, 2018, shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale through extensive surveillance video taken inside and outside the store, plus cellphone videos the men took showing them flashing fistfuls of $100 bills hours after the slaying.
Prosecutors also had the testimony of a fourth man, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants who said he participated in the robbery. He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder. He has not been sentenced pending the conclusion of this trial. He could get anywhere between time served, meaning he could soon be released, and life, depending partly on how much weight prosecutors give to his assistance.
Defense attorneys accused Allen of being a liar who was motivated by his desire to avoid a life sentence. They also said prosecutors and detectives did a poor investigation that didn’t look at other possible suspects, including the Canadian rap star Drake; he and XXXTentacion had an online feud.
Boatwright was identified as the primary shooter. Twice last week, the jury asked to review 17 text messages that prosecutors said he sent to various people from the time he woke up about 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., about an hour before the shooting. He then stopped texting for about two hours.
About an hour after the shooting, Boatwright sent a text saying, “Tell my brother I got the money for the new phone.” Minutes after that, he sent someone a screenshot of a news story saying XXXTentacion had been shot, prosecutors said.
XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports with a friend when an SUV swerved in front of him and blocked his BMW.
Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerging and confronting the 20-year-old singer at the driver’s window, and one shot him repeatedly. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing cash XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank, got back into the SUV and sped away. The friend was not harmed.
Newsome was accused of being the other gunman. Williams was accused of being the driver of the SUV, and Allen of being inside the vehicle.
Allen testified that the men set out that day to commit robberies and went to the motorcycle shop to buy Williams a mask. There they spotted the rapper and decided to make him their target. Allen and Williams went inside the shop to confirm it was him. They then went back to the SUV they had rented, waited for XXXTentacion to emerge and ambushed him, according to testimony.
The rapper, who pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN,” was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend. —-
This story has been edited to correct that jurors asked for the text messages from Boatwright last week, not this week.
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Associated Press reporter Terry Spencer contributed to this report.
The Argentine tax authority (AFIP) is increasing its scrutiny when it comes to digital wallets. The institution recently revealed it found irregularities in at least 184 tax statements that include digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. These taxpayers did not include their wallet holdings as part of their 2021 tax statements, leaving close to $7.6 million in such assets undeclared.
The Argentine tax authority has ramped up its vigilance for digital and cryptocurrency taxes. Recently, the institution announced that it had discovered a series of irregularities that involved at least 184 taxpayers, who failed to refer to their digital and cryptocurrency holdings in their tax statements.
The scrutinized tax statements, corresponding to fiscal year 2021, involve a difference of close to $7.6 million in assets undeclared, which will have to be paid according to rules for existing estate taxes.
The AFIP explained this was the result of cross-referencing the data provided by taxpayers with the information available in the databases of the institution, which let it know some individuals underreported their holdings in crypto and digital wallets, while others did not report their holdings in their entirety.
The findings of the Argentine tax authority are possible due to the information that both digital wallet providers and cryptocurrency exchanges must deliver to the institution in order to comply with national laws. Part of this information delivered includes the ID data of the owners of the accounts, their account balances, and a detailed list of movements, including the destination of the transacted funds.
While some users have moved their transactions to P2P exchanges, the common movement of funds, and the amounts moved can also bring the attention of the AFIP to them, according to national analysts. Roberto Sanchez, of PWC Argentina, told Iproup about the rise in this kind of transaction. He stated:
Throughout the year, as a result of the increase in transactions and variations in their valuation, users who choose to operate through P2P platforms (person to person) have visibly multiplied.
This is not the first time that the AFIP has notified taxpayers about irregularities in their statements. The institution notified almost 4,000 citizens about discrepancies related to crypto holdings in October, giving them the opportunity to amend their statements.
Also, the government of Argentina signed an automatic tax data-sharing agreement with the U.S. in December, with the objective of pushing tax collection related to goods held in other countries, including crypto.
What do you think about the actions of the AFIP regarding digital wallets and cryptocurrency taxes? Tell us in the comments section below.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, DiegoCityExplorer / Shutterstock.com
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Tom Thibodeau has known Rick Pitino for decades and endorses his blockbuster hiring as St. John’s new men’s basketball coach.
“Just really, really happy for him. I think he’s been a great coach wherever he’s been,” Thibodeau said before the Knicks’ 140-134 loss to the Timberwolves Monday night at the Garden. “He’s been through a lot. When I was a young coach, I used to go watch his practices at Providence.
“So he’s a good man, great coach, and I know he’ll do a great job at St. John’s.”
The 70-year-old Pitino was hired by the Red Storm on Monday after three seasons — and two NCAA Tournament berths — at Iona.
Thibodeau was an assistant coach at Harvard from 1985-89, while Pitino was at Providence from 1985-87.
Pitino was named Knicks coach after leading the Friars to the 1987 Final Four, before returning to the college ranks at Kentucky two years later.
Thibodeau believes Jalen Brunson, who finished with 23 points and 10 assists, should be a candidate for the league’s Most Improved Player award, which Julius Randle (57 points, four rebounds) won in 2020-21.
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are considered the favorites for the prize.
“I just think that you look at what he’s done. And I think the important thing is the impact on winning, for all our players,” Thibodeau said of Brunson, who went 9-for-18 from the field and had two turnovers. “And I think when you win, the by-product of winning is people get recognized. So I’m hopeful that he does get recognized, but I don’t want it to get lost.
“We have a number of guys that hopefully will be up for things, just don’t lose sight, don’t get sidetracked. [But] it’s the impact he’s had on the team … you can’t say enough of what he’s meant to our team just from a leadership standpoint.”
Karl-Anthony Towns (strained right calf) and Anthony Edwards (right ankle sprain) were out for the Timberwolves.
Rudy Gobert (left ankle sprain) was available after being listed as questionable.
The 2023 Honda WR-V, which was launched in Thailand earlier this month, is one of the vehicles Honda Thailand is showcasing in its display at the Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS), which begins today. These live photographs (of the RS variant, with and without the optional Modulo styling kit) offer a first good look at what we can expect when the compact SUV debuts in Malaysia sometime in the third quarter.
When it arrives, the WR-V – one of four new vehicles Honda Malaysia is launching this year – will go head-to-head with the similarly-sized Perodua Ativa, if not exactly in price, then in size.
The WR-V measures in at 4,060 mm long, 1,780 mm wide and 1,608 mm tall, with a 2,485 mm-long wheelbase. Comparatively, the Ativa is 4,065 mm long, 1,710 mm wide and 1,635 mm tall, and has a 2,525 mm-long wheelbase, making it a tad longer and taller than the Honda, but narrower.
As mentioned in our earlier report, there’s no indication yet as to the variants and specifications we’ll be getting, but the Thailand-spec models provide some insight. Additionally, available variants in Indonesia, where the car made its global debut last November, offer further clues of what to expect.
Both markets offer two variants – in Thailand, they are the SV and RS (Indonesia has the E and RS). All share a common powertrain and drivetrain, in this case a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated DOHC engine with i-VTEC offering 121 PS at 6,600 rpm and 145 Nm of torque at 4,300 rpm. If it sounds familiar, it is, because it’s the same unit as found on the City and entry-level HR-V. Like in those applications, the partnering transmission on the WR-V is a CVT.
Standard equipment on the WR-V in Thailand include automatic LED headlamps, LED DRLs, LED taillights with sequential turn signals, body coloured door handles, black synthetic leather/fabric combination seat upholstery and leather steering wheel (both with blue contrast stitching), remote engine start, walk-away auto lock and keyless entry/push-start ignition.
Also on, automatic air-conditioning, a 7.0-inch touchscreen head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Siri and Android Auto voice control, four speakers, two USB ports, multi-angle rear-view camera, a Honda Smart Key Card and a 4.2-inch TFT multi-info display. The SV rides on 16-inch alloys, wrapped with 215/60 profile tyres.
In terms of safety and driving assistance, there’s vehicle stability assist and hill-start assist, and the SV gets four airbags (front, side), with the RS adding on side curtain airbags to make it six.
Both variants come equipped with Honda Sensing, with the ADAS item list comprising collision mitigation braking (CMBS), road departure mitigation with lane departure warning (RDM with LDW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane-keeping assist (LKAS), lead car departure notification and auto high-beam.
That’s on the SV. The RS, besides featuring exterior dress-up elements, gets additional kit, including the automaker’s LaneWatch side camera system and Honda Connect telemetry system. It also adds on LED front foglamps, auto folding side mirrors and rides on 17-inch wheels, shod with 215/55 rubbers.
The RS also gets some extra interior accoutrements, these coming in the form of red contrast stitching on the upholstery and steering wheel, vanity mirror illumination, rear seat armrests, paddle shifters and two extra speakers to six units.
We can expect the RS to be the range-topper for Malaysia, but there is a possibility of there being more than one other variant for our market (entry, mid-spec, RS). This is suggested by the Indonesian E grade, which is the base model in the republic.
The version pares down the kit somewhat compared to the Thailand-spec SV. It comes with halogen headlamps (without auto feature), fabric seats, digital air-conditioning, a MID instrument display, and omits the walk-away auto lock function, among other things.
As for pricing, it remains to be seen how the WR-V will stack up in the scheme of things, in relation to the Ativa and also the automaker’s larger HR-V. In Indonesia, the E goes for Rp.271.9 juta, which for the E, which is around RM79,330, while the Sensing-equipped RS is priced at Rp.309.9 juta, or RM90,420. It’s pricier in Thailand, with the SV going for 799,000 baht (RM105,100) and the RS, for 869,000 baht (RM114,300).
What do you think of the Honda WR-V? Share your opinion about it in the comments section.
GALLERY: 2023 Honda WR-V RS, Thailand market specification
GALLERY: 2023 Honda WR-V RS with Modulo kit, Thailand market specification
A prankster managed to give some of Donald Trump’s most loyal defenders a healthy dose of the truth about the 2020 election and all that followed ― and he did it in the middle of a live segment on a right-wing network.
Jason Selvig of progressive comedy duo The Good Liars was interviewed on RSBN, an online streamer known for its fawning coverage of the former president, at a New York rally in support of Trump ahead of a possible indictment this week.
“This is a political prosecution, it has to be,” Selvig said during the interview. “That’s the only way it could be happening right now.”
But then Selvig conceded that there is another way.
“The only other option is that Donald Trump lost by 7 million votes and is a loser who can’t deal with the fact that he lost the election because he based his whole personality on being a winner and calling people losers,” he said.
See more of the exchange below:
In another part of the interview, he also noted that the turnout at the rally for the former president wasn’t exactly impressive:
The Good Liars have pulled off some memorable stunts, including a moment last year when Selvig joined Herschel Walker, then a GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, on stage at a campaign event, and trolling National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre during the organization’s convention last spring.
