The YNW Melly drama seems to be never-ending, with new charges filed against him and co-defendant YNW Bortlen.
On Monday night, Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Malik Henry, was arrested during a raid at his Miami home for an out-of-county warrant. Both he and Melly have now been charged with witness tampering. According to XXL, Bortlen has been out on bond since August 2021 for his alleged role in the 2018 slayings of YNW Juvy, aka Christopher Thomas Jr., and YNW Sakchaser, aka Anthony Williams. Melly was initially charged with their murders, while Bortlen was accused of helping the “Murder On My Mind” rapper cover up the killings to make them look like a drive-by shooting.
In July, Melly’s trial ended in a hung jury. However, the prosecution is preparing to try him again next month. Per the new arrest warrant, he and Bortlen engaged in “misleading conduct toward another person with the intent to cause or induce (that person) to withhold testimony.” The victims are allegedly Melly’s ex-girlfriend and her mother, who reported that Bortlen told the young woman, “If she was more loyal, she would be driving a pink BMW,” alluding that she would be given the new car if she didn’t cooperate with the prosecution. Bortlen had previously been banned from contacting witnesses as part of his bond conditions.
Bortlen is being held in the Miami-Dade County Jail. Melly remains in Broward County jail, where he has been since 2019. His defense attorneys say this latest charge is a “distraction” as the case heads to retrial.
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