Brooklyn rapper Casanova, who surrendered to authorities in December on charges of racketeering and murder, was denied bond today, according to the NY Daily News. The bail would have been set at $2.5 million but Manhattan Federal Judge Philip Halpern made it clear that he believed the rapper to be too great a risk for release. Casanova — real name Caswell Senior — is accused of not just being a member of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang, but Assistant US Attorney David Felton called him the “full-fledged, committed leader of the gang.”
The prosecution’s case presented enough evidence to convince Judge Halpern “that violence seems to be perpetuated by associates of Mr. Senior… it’s plausible to interpret that as evidence … Mr. Senior doesn’t have to get his hands dirty.” However, Cas’s defense, James Kousouros, disagrees, believing as reported by the Daily News that “the government’s case boiled down to comments by other accused gangsters about Casanova, as well as photos of him with large amounts of weed.”
Cas and members of GSN stand accused of selling crack, cocaine, and ecstasy, and firearms offenses, while other members are accused of identity fraud and accessory to murder, with one member driving an accomplice to kill a 15-year-old. Casanova faces a minimum of 15 years if convicted.