I hate to post this..but alot of people know Black was my homie, and have been asking me about it..
Twisted Black's Trial Update
11/22/06
Witnesses contradict in noted rapper's trial
Bob Campbell
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Witnesses in the crack cocaine conspiracy trial of Tommy "Twisted Black" Burns Tuesday testified the Fort Worth rap musician visited Midland on legitimate music business in the spring of 2005 and they were not aware of any illegal activity.
Brittany Wilson of Midland told a U.S. District Court jury Angela Denise "Angie" Hutson, a key prosecution witness in the September 2005 crack trial of aspiring rapper Zeteral "Zet" Perkins, "was scared and nervous" after Perkins was arrested at Hutson's home on June 2, 2005.
"She wanted to know if I would help her lie on Twisted Black and I said no," Wilson told Arlington defense attorney Douglas Greene.
The lawyer then questioned if Courtney Iglehart's Monday testimony was credible that he paid Burns $4,500 for a quarter kilogram of cocaine in February 2005 outside Burns' Fort Worth recording studio.
Wilson said Iglehart told her in a phone call from Odessa Detention Center "that he was going to do what he had to do to get himself out of trouble."
"Did that include framing Mr. Burns?" Greene asked.
"Yes, it did," she said. "He wasn't worried about saving nobody but himself."
Wilson described Burns' and Perkins' spring 2005 appearance at a southeast Midland nightclub where they rapped and promoted Burns' hip hop music.
"Did you see Mr. Burns in the parking lot dealing dope to anybody?" asked Greene.
"No, I didn't," Wilson said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Parras obtained Wilson's concession she had been romanticly involved at different times with Perkins, Iglehart and Andre Harris, who are all serving federal prison terms. But the witness said she did not know any of them sold crack
"I have a son and I was working at a battered women's shelter and going to UTPB," she said. "My life did not revolve around them."
Wilson also told Parras that Burns had promised to include her in a music video he was planning before his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil of Fort Worth denied him bond on July 12.
Final arguments are expected today in Judge Robert Junell's court and Burns could face life in prison if convicted.
James Turner, Burns' manager, testified "neither me nor my artists" have been involved with drugs. The former University of Central Oklahoma basketball player and secondary school chemistry teacher said he worked for Burns for three years and they toured Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Lousiana, Georgia, North Carolina and other states. "We toured the country," he said.
Turner said Burns signed with TVT Records of New York City last summer after a series of successful independent albums. "He was the best artist without a record label," said Turner.
He said Hutson's testimony that Burns was Perkins' supplier caused alarm at Scarred 4 Life Records in Fort Worth. "The lady brought up my artist's name and that concerned me," he said.
"Was the record business a front for the dope business?" Greene asked.
"No, it wasn't," said Turner.
He told Parras that Burns was expanding his fan base into West Texas but said he did not accompany the rapper here and didn't know what other activities of which Burns may have been involved.
Turner said he did not believe Twisted Black had used any drug-related lyrics, but he only booked studio time and handled promotions.
He said he was therefore unaware Burns sang "Imma cook my way 2 the top" in a song last year.
www.MYWESTTEXAS.com
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Smiling and shaking his head at the stories of government witnesses, Fort Worth rap musician Tommy "Twisted Black" Burns went on trial for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine Monday in U.
S. District Court.
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Vikram N. Patel, M.D.
Facing a possible life term, the 35-year-old Detroit native heard alleged co-conspirator Courtney Iglehart describe meeting Burns at a Fort Worth recording studio and paying him $4,500 for a quarter kilogram of powder cocaine in February 2005.
Iglehart, 23, already serving a 10-year federal sentence for dealing crack, said he followed aspiring Midland rapper Zeteral "Zet" Perkins to the Metroplex, saw Perkins get into Burns' silver Corvette outside the established rapper's CD shop and drove behind them to the studio.
"I asked Black, is this going to come back?" said Iglehart, explaining he wanted to know if the powder cocaine was pure enough to be "cooked" into crack. "And he said, 'For sure.'"
"You didn't want to ride with crack in the car, did you?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Parras asked in reference to the more serious penalties for crack possession.
"No," Iglehart said.
Perkins was convicted in a September 2005 federal jury trial of conspiracy and possession of more than 50 grams of crack and sentenced to 22 years last February by Judge Robert Junell.
Representing Burns, Fort Worth attorney Michael Heiskell questioned the credibility of Iglehart and fellow witnesses Andre Harris and Joseph Wright, who are also federally incarcerated on drug charges. "It's fair to say you know how to work the system, isn't it?" Heiskell asked.
"Yes, sir," said Iglehart, who acknowledged having $27,000 in his possession when arrested.
Assisted by co-counsel Douglas Greene of Arlington, Heiskell introduced evidence that Iglehart then told a girlfriend, "I'm a hustler and I do what I gotta do."
The lawyer said Iglehart also confided, "I take control of every situation I'm in."
Like Iglehart, Perkins and Wright are native Midlanders. Harris told the two-man, 10-woman jury he initially misled Midland police Lt. Mitch Russell about Black's Midland activities because he was intimidated by the rapper's "street cred" or credibility as a gangster.
"Were you afraid of him?" Parras asked.
"Not him alone but what he could do," Harris said, prompting Burns to shake his head and smile.
The 31-year-old witness said he has nine children from 4 months to 14, adding, "I was scared something would happen to me or my family if I told."
"Did you know the word was out on the street that people were lining up to cut a deal and go against Tommy Burns?" Heiskell asked.
"No," said Harris.
Wright said he was never involved with Burns, but he had a cocaine supplier in Mexico and provided Perkins with a kilogram, or "key," of cocaine every three weeks until Twisted Black came to Midland. "After Mr. Burns showed up, you didn't have to do that anymore, did you?" Parras asked.
"No, I didn't," said Wright, who is serving 15 years.
He related going with Perkins and Burns in the spring of 2005 to a southeast Midland nightclub where Burns rapped and threw $100 bills to the audience. "The females in the club were retrieving them," Wright said.
"Did you light your cigarette with a $100 bill?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yeah, just to show you got it to waste," Wright said. "I was doing all right at the time."
Having released four albums since 1995's "Look What the Streets Made," Burns completed his first album for TVT Records of New York City after his July arrest by U.S. marshals. It is scheduled for release next year.
Shot in the face and incarcerated after "Contradictions" in 1998, Burns released "Late Bloomer" in 2003 and "The Life of Tommy Burns" last year on Scarred 4 Life Records.
Twisted Black's Trial Update
11/22/06
Witnesses contradict in noted rapper's trial
Bob Campbell
Staff Writer
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Witnesses in the crack cocaine conspiracy trial of Tommy "Twisted Black" Burns Tuesday testified the Fort Worth rap musician visited Midland on legitimate music business in the spring of 2005 and they were not aware of any illegal activity.
Brittany Wilson of Midland told a U.S. District Court jury Angela Denise "Angie" Hutson, a key prosecution witness in the September 2005 crack trial of aspiring rapper Zeteral "Zet" Perkins, "was scared and nervous" after Perkins was arrested at Hutson's home on June 2, 2005.
"She wanted to know if I would help her lie on Twisted Black and I said no," Wilson told Arlington defense attorney Douglas Greene.
The lawyer then questioned if Courtney Iglehart's Monday testimony was credible that he paid Burns $4,500 for a quarter kilogram of cocaine in February 2005 outside Burns' Fort Worth recording studio.
Wilson said Iglehart told her in a phone call from Odessa Detention Center "that he was going to do what he had to do to get himself out of trouble."
"Did that include framing Mr. Burns?" Greene asked.
"Yes, it did," she said. "He wasn't worried about saving nobody but himself."
Wilson described Burns' and Perkins' spring 2005 appearance at a southeast Midland nightclub where they rapped and promoted Burns' hip hop music.
"Did you see Mr. Burns in the parking lot dealing dope to anybody?" asked Greene.
"No, I didn't," Wilson said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Parras obtained Wilson's concession she had been romanticly involved at different times with Perkins, Iglehart and Andre Harris, who are all serving federal prison terms. But the witness said she did not know any of them sold crack
"I have a son and I was working at a battered women's shelter and going to UTPB," she said. "My life did not revolve around them."
Wilson also told Parras that Burns had promised to include her in a music video he was planning before his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Charles Bleil of Fort Worth denied him bond on July 12.
Final arguments are expected today in Judge Robert Junell's court and Burns could face life in prison if convicted.
James Turner, Burns' manager, testified "neither me nor my artists" have been involved with drugs. The former University of Central Oklahoma basketball player and secondary school chemistry teacher said he worked for Burns for three years and they toured Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Lousiana, Georgia, North Carolina and other states. "We toured the country," he said.
Turner said Burns signed with TVT Records of New York City last summer after a series of successful independent albums. "He was the best artist without a record label," said Turner.
He said Hutson's testimony that Burns was Perkins' supplier caused alarm at Scarred 4 Life Records in Fort Worth. "The lady brought up my artist's name and that concerned me," he said.
"Was the record business a front for the dope business?" Greene asked.
"No, it wasn't," said Turner.
He told Parras that Burns was expanding his fan base into West Texas but said he did not accompany the rapper here and didn't know what other activities of which Burns may have been involved.
Turner said he did not believe Twisted Black had used any drug-related lyrics, but he only booked studio time and handled promotions.
He said he was therefore unaware Burns sang "Imma cook my way 2 the top" in a song last year.
www.MYWESTTEXAS.com
---------------------------------------------------
Smiling and shaking his head at the stories of government witnesses, Fort Worth rap musician Tommy "Twisted Black" Burns went on trial for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine Monday in U.
S. District Court.
Advertisement
Vikram N. Patel, M.D.
Facing a possible life term, the 35-year-old Detroit native heard alleged co-conspirator Courtney Iglehart describe meeting Burns at a Fort Worth recording studio and paying him $4,500 for a quarter kilogram of powder cocaine in February 2005.
Iglehart, 23, already serving a 10-year federal sentence for dealing crack, said he followed aspiring Midland rapper Zeteral "Zet" Perkins to the Metroplex, saw Perkins get into Burns' silver Corvette outside the established rapper's CD shop and drove behind them to the studio.
"I asked Black, is this going to come back?" said Iglehart, explaining he wanted to know if the powder cocaine was pure enough to be "cooked" into crack. "And he said, 'For sure.'"
"You didn't want to ride with crack in the car, did you?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Parras asked in reference to the more serious penalties for crack possession.
"No," Iglehart said.
Perkins was convicted in a September 2005 federal jury trial of conspiracy and possession of more than 50 grams of crack and sentenced to 22 years last February by Judge Robert Junell.
Representing Burns, Fort Worth attorney Michael Heiskell questioned the credibility of Iglehart and fellow witnesses Andre Harris and Joseph Wright, who are also federally incarcerated on drug charges. "It's fair to say you know how to work the system, isn't it?" Heiskell asked.
"Yes, sir," said Iglehart, who acknowledged having $27,000 in his possession when arrested.
Assisted by co-counsel Douglas Greene of Arlington, Heiskell introduced evidence that Iglehart then told a girlfriend, "I'm a hustler and I do what I gotta do."
The lawyer said Iglehart also confided, "I take control of every situation I'm in."
Like Iglehart, Perkins and Wright are native Midlanders. Harris told the two-man, 10-woman jury he initially misled Midland police Lt. Mitch Russell about Black's Midland activities because he was intimidated by the rapper's "street cred" or credibility as a gangster.
"Were you afraid of him?" Parras asked.
"Not him alone but what he could do," Harris said, prompting Burns to shake his head and smile.
The 31-year-old witness said he has nine children from 4 months to 14, adding, "I was scared something would happen to me or my family if I told."
"Did you know the word was out on the street that people were lining up to cut a deal and go against Tommy Burns?" Heiskell asked.
"No," said Harris.
Wright said he was never involved with Burns, but he had a cocaine supplier in Mexico and provided Perkins with a kilogram, or "key," of cocaine every three weeks until Twisted Black came to Midland. "After Mr. Burns showed up, you didn't have to do that anymore, did you?" Parras asked.
"No, I didn't," said Wright, who is serving 15 years.
He related going with Perkins and Burns in the spring of 2005 to a southeast Midland nightclub where Burns rapped and threw $100 bills to the audience. "The females in the club were retrieving them," Wright said.
"Did you light your cigarette with a $100 bill?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yeah, just to show you got it to waste," Wright said. "I was doing all right at the time."
Having released four albums since 1995's "Look What the Streets Made," Burns completed his first album for TVT Records of New York City after his July arrest by U.S. marshals. It is scheduled for release next year.
Shot in the face and incarcerated after "Contradictions" in 1998, Burns released "Late Bloomer" in 2003 and "The Life of Tommy Burns" last year on Scarred 4 Life Records.
