Hip-hop
producer friend of Justin Timberlake and P Diddy who
smuggled $4million of cocaine across U.S. in private jets
is jailed for ten years
- Gang of 14 operated between LA and Baltimore
- Shipped and distributed 400kg of cocaine
- Kingpin Ricky Brascom jailed for ten years
- His brother, Jerome 'Bro-Bro', gets six years
Kingpin: Ricky 'DP' Brascom (above) led a gang of smugglers who shipped and distributed cocaine between LA and Baltimore. He's been jailed for 10 years
A hip-hop producer who befriended Justin Timberlake and P Diddy has been jailed for ten years for masterminding a drug-trafficking ring that used private jets to smuggle cocaine and cash across America.
Ricky 'DP' Brascom, the CEO of Behind da Scenes Entertainment, led a gang of 14 who shipped nearly 400kg of drugs and $4million in cash between Los Angeles and Baltimore.
His brother and partner, Jerome 'Bro-Bro' Brascom, was also sentenced at a Los Angeles court yesterday and given six years.
Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after being arrested in 2010 with 12 others during a federal investigation dubbed 'Operation Snowbird'.
At the time of his arrest, Ricky Brascom had been living a life of luxury.
He was a famous face in rap circles, having produced a music video with P Diddy, and had been a guest at Justin Timberlake's birthday party in Las Vegas.
One of his neighbours in the illustrious gated community of LA's Woodland Hills was Dr Dre and he drove around in a $250,000 2010 Aston Martin Rapides, according to The Daily Beast.
But federal investigators said that behind the scenes he was actually running a drug ring which bought large amounts of cocaine in Los Angeles, arranged for them to be flown to Baltimore and oversaw its distribution in the city.
Friend of the stars: Ricky Brascom produced a music video with rapper P Diddy (left) and was a guest at singer Justin Timberlake's birthday party in Las Vegas
Suitcases full of cash were then transported back to LA.
During a six-week period, the ring transported more than 390 kilograms of cocaine and more than $4million in drug cash, according to court documents.
'Because of the fact he had a lot of money, he got to live in the world the rest of us don’t live in,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob B. Villeza told The Daily Beast in November 2010.
'They were using the smaller model planes that don’t require a crew. There are no security measures that will examine or inspect what is in your luggage.'
He added: 'Charter jets are really expensive. It can range from $20,000 to 50,000 a flight.
'But if you are flying cocaine worth millions of dollars, and your profit is substantially more than $50,000, you might determine it is a wise investment.'