Several members of Tekashi 6ix9ine’s security team have been indicted for criminal impersonation.
A former NYPD detective is among the members of 6ix9ine’s entourage who were named in an indictment stemming from an incident in August 2020 where they pursued a couple alarmingly through the streets of New York in a car chase. According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., the squad allegedly chased the victim in their SUVs with flashing lights and sirens and later lied about the incident to the police.
The 20-block car chase was spurred on by a couple’s alleged attempt to record a secret video of Tekashi 6ix9ine. The crew surrounded the couple at 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, where the victim was forcefully removed from his car, and his phone stomped on. 6ix9ine has not been named in the charges for his security team, including first and second-degree attempted robbery and first-degree criminal impersonation.
Former detective Daniel Laperuta was reportedly one of the security team members involved in the incident. He was additionally charged in the third degree for reporting a false incident. He allegedly claimed to 911 and the NYPD that the crew was being threatened by the victim with a firearm.
“A celebrity entourage is not a police department, and Manhattan is not the Wild West,” said District Attorney Vance. “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. False reports – especially about firearms – can carry devastating consequences and fortunately, no one was injured or killed in the actual police response.”
According to Patch, Laperuta faced seven accusations of misconduct across three individual incidents during his time on the force. On the charges against him, his lawyer Todd Cushner said, “For the most part, they’re unfounded.” On Monday, Laperuta pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was expected to post bail that afternoon.
The other security team members who have formally been charged in the New York State Supreme Court are Egardo Cortez, Sammy Sprouse, Kristian Fuhse, and Christian Cortez. It is alleged that Spouse opened the victim’s car door, unbuckled his seatbelt and yanked him from the car then knocked his phone to the ground.
Fuhse allegedly stomped on the phone while Egardo Cortez allegedly wrestled with the victim when he tried to get his phone back. Christian Cortez allegedly pointed a taser at the victim. No other lawyers have been listed in court documents for the other defendants.
