In just one week, Jamaican reggae bad boy Buju Banton went from accepting a Grammy Award to being convicted on federal cocaine trafficking charges.
A Tampa, Fla. Jury found Banton guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine after a two-day deliberation. On Feb 13, his album “Before the Dawn” won the best reggae album Grammy.
Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, is facing a possible life sentence.
Prosecutors contend Banton was a middleman in a cocaine transaction between Tampa dealers and a Drug Enforcement Agency informant.
The operation culminated in a sting in December 2009 where Banton was caught on videotape boasting about the deal and sampling cocaine.
“This is not about Buju Banton, the reggae singer,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney James Preston, during closing arguments. “This is about Mark Myrie, the drug defendant.”
But Banton lawyer David Markus said his client did not profit from the deal and was guilty of being “a big talker.” Banton was trying to impress the informant, Markus said.
“He tied to act cool,” Markus said.
For his part in the bust, the informant received a $50,000 commission.
