Tekashi 6ix9ine's Security Team Charged Over 2020 Robbery, Retired NYPD Detective Indicted For Falsely Reporting Incident
Several members of Tekashi 6ix9ine's security team have been indicted for robbery in connection to a 2020 incident -- when they allegedly robbed a man and chased him through the streets.
RadarOnline.com has learned that five people on the rapper's security were charged in New York State Supreme Court on Monday, as well as a retired NYPD detective.
The charges include robbery in the first and second degree and criminal impersonation in the first degree.
44-year-old retired officer Daniel Laperuta is charged with falsely reporting an incident after he falsely claimed to authorities that the victim was threatening Tekashi's security team with a gun.
The incident went down in August 2020, in which Tekashi 6ix9ine's security team used their SUVs to chase a man down in Harlem to steal his phone after he attempted to capture footage of the rapper.
The District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., had some stern words for the defendants.
“A celebrity entourage is not a police department, and Manhattan is not the Wild West,” he said on Monday.
“As alleged, these highly-compensated vigilantes caravanned through the streets of Harlem with sirens flashing in order to track a man down and steal and break his phone. Along the way, a retired NYPD Detective tried to cover up their conduct by lying to his former colleagues and repeatedly claiming the victim had threatened to shoot them," Vance continued. "False reports – especially about firearms – can carry devastating consequences and fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the actual police response.”
According to Vance, when Tekashi's security team caught the man -- who was with his girlfriend -- pulling out his phone to get footage of the rapper, they chased him in the SUVs with sirens and lights flashing.
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When the victim attempted to flag down a marked police car for help, Laperuta produced a retired NYPD Member of Service card. He then told officers the victim had been threatening Tekashi 6ix9ine's team with a firearm.
Laperuta called 911 and repeated the same allegation.
When the rapper's team finally caught up to the victim "approximately 20 blocks" later, they allegedly boxed in the victim's car.
One of the security members "approached the victim, opened his car door, unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled the victim’s arm. The victim’s phone was knocked out of his hand to the ground," while another one of Tekashi's team "stomped on it."
Laperuta arrived at the scene and he reportedly had his hand on his firearm.
When an unmarked police car showed up, Tekashi's team fled the scene.
Laperuta made a complaint, where he "claimed again that the victim had threatened them with a firearm."
When he was challenged by a fellow officer, Laperuta "withdrew his complaint and left the precinct."
