BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) -- Top-selling rapper Mystikal and two other men were jailed Thursday on charges they raped an acquaintance at his house.
Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, surrendered to authorities early Thursday and was booked on an aggravated rape charge, police said.
Leland Ellis, 36, and Vercy Carter, 34, of Baton Rouge, turned themselves in and were booked later that morning, police said.
Tyler was released Thursday afternoon on $250,000 bond.
All three were also charged with extortion. Authorities say they threatened to tell police that the woman had received checks from the rapper's account without his permission. The extortion charge accuses Tyler of demanding sex in exchange for his agreement not to turn the woman over to police.
If convicted of the aggravated rape charge, Tyler would face a mandatory life sentence. The penalty for extortion carries a prison term of one to 15 years.
Tyler's attorneys did not return calls seeking comment, nor did his record company, Jive.
His hits include "Danger (Been So Long)" and the Grammy-nominated "Shake Ya ..." The gruff-sounding rapper's latest disc, "Tarantula," has gone gold.
Tyler is accused of attacking the 40-year-old woman after she showed up at his house around 8 p.m. on July 3.
He allegedly threatened to tell police that she had accepted a check written out to her on his checking account, even though she knew he had not approved it, said Cpl. Mary Ann Godawa, a police spokeswoman.
He also threatened to hurt her and made her perform oral sex on him, according to a police statement. Tyler allegedly called two men over to his house, and when they showed up, according to police, he raped the woman in front of them, then each of the others raped her, making the same threats Tyler had made.
"During the attacks, the victim was repeatedly threatened with prosecution of the checks and great bodily harm. The victim was allowed to leave the residence after the attacks. She was treated and released at a local hospital," a police statement said.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, surrendered to authorities early Thursday and was booked on an aggravated rape charge, police said.
Leland Ellis, 36, and Vercy Carter, 34, of Baton Rouge, turned themselves in and were booked later that morning, police said.
Tyler was released Thursday afternoon on $250,000 bond.
All three were also charged with extortion. Authorities say they threatened to tell police that the woman had received checks from the rapper's account without his permission. The extortion charge accuses Tyler of demanding sex in exchange for his agreement not to turn the woman over to police.
If convicted of the aggravated rape charge, Tyler would face a mandatory life sentence. The penalty for extortion carries a prison term of one to 15 years.
Tyler's attorneys did not return calls seeking comment, nor did his record company, Jive.
His hits include "Danger (Been So Long)" and the Grammy-nominated "Shake Ya ..." The gruff-sounding rapper's latest disc, "Tarantula," has gone gold.
Tyler is accused of attacking the 40-year-old woman after she showed up at his house around 8 p.m. on July 3.
He allegedly threatened to tell police that she had accepted a check written out to her on his checking account, even though she knew he had not approved it, said Cpl. Mary Ann Godawa, a police spokeswoman.
He also threatened to hurt her and made her perform oral sex on him, according to a police statement. Tyler allegedly called two men over to his house, and when they showed up, according to police, he raped the woman in front of them, then each of the others raped her, making the same threats Tyler had made.
"During the attacks, the victim was repeatedly threatened with prosecution of the checks and great bodily harm. The victim was allowed to leave the residence after the attacks. She was treated and released at a local hospital," a police statement said.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
