News

The Game was arrested in New York City for impersonating a police officer last week, but that may be the least of his worries. On Friday (November 17th), just one day after Game's arrest, his business partner John "Johnny Hooks" Abbey was arrested and charged with using Game's Black Wall Street East recording studio to launder money for a New Jersey street gang.

Abbey, 38, faces charges of laundering over $100,000 for the 9 Tre Gangsters, a New Jersey-based faction of the Bloods street gang that allegedly runs guns and drugs all over the state. On the same day they arrested Abbey, police also searched the offices of Black Wall Street East in Atlantic City, as well as a house owned by Abbey and a construction company he was invested in. Police would not reveal if The Game, a former member of the Bloods, was a suspect in their investigation.

Meanwhile, New York City police have charged Game with impersonating a police officer, after an incident on Thursday (November 16th) in which the rapper allegedly ordered a Manhattan cab driver to run several red lights by claiming he was an undercover cop in pursuit of a suspect. The Game's lawyer, however, claims his client is merely a victim of police harassment.

"This is really a new low even for the NYPD," attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told reporters. "It's a big joke to harass him and other members of the hip-hop community.... Let's see how funny they think it is during the cross-examinations of this trial."

No court date has been set for Abbey, who is currently being held on $750,000 bail for first-degree racketeering conspiracy. As for The Game, he's due to appear in court on December 12th to answer to the charge of impersonating a cop.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
11.20.06