Lil' Kim's ex fiance Damion 'World' Hardy sentenced to life in prison
Damion 'World' Hardy, 40, leader of a notorious drug gang and ex of Lil' Kim, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for ordering six murders
A notorious New York gang boss and drug kingpin who is believed to have been engaged to rapper Lil' Kim was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole Monday for ordering the murders of six people during his reign.
Damon 'World' Hardy, 40, was the founder and leader of the 'Cash Money Brothers', a gang that ran a major cocaine operation out of the Lafayette Gardens housing project in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, from the 1990s to the 2000.
Hardy was a teenager when he formed his crew.
He ruled with terror for more than a decade, causing violence on the streets, including daily gun battles, and dished out orders for the murder of his rivals and enemies.
He was arrested and indicted in 2004 on charges of drug dealing, attempted murder and kidnapping, but his trial was delayed for years as the defense claimed Hardy was unfit to stand trial due to diagnosed schizophrenia.
But Judge Frederic Block ruled he was sane enough to face trial and he was forcibly medicated for the courtroom, following a successful bid by prosecutors.
Last month the drug lord was finally convicted.
Hardy maintained his innocence as the judge handed down his life sentence in Brooklyn Federal Court today.
'I am 100 percent, completely innocent,' he said in court, The New York Post reported.
Many relatives of the men Hardy had killed sat in at the hearing.
One, Epiphany Baum, called Hardy a 'f-----g b---'.
Baum’s father, Darryl Baum, was once a bodyguard for former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Hardy gave the order for a hit on him in 2000, according to The Post.
Baum's death fueled a violent feud with Tyson, and both men issued violent threats to the other.
Hardy dated rapper and hip hop star Lil' Kim (left) and also infamously feuded with boxer Mike Tyson (right)
According to The New York Daily News, the two had 'hits' out on each other at one point.
The newspaper reported that Tyson had put a $50,000 bounty on Hardy's head.
However nothing transpired between the two rivals.
Hardy also dated and lived in a New Jersey mansion with Lil' Kim at the peak of his leadership.
At one point in the relationship the two were engaged to be married, according to reports.
However they fell apart as Hardy's mental stability began to deteriorate.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Soumya Dayananda told the jury that for more than a decade Hardy created a 'world of violence' around the Lafayette Gardens housing project
His lethal orders were carried out by Cash Money Brothers hitman Aaron (E-Bay) Granton, who rose through the ranks of the violent 1990s gang.
Granton was also found guilty of carrying out killings when he was part of the gang.
During the ten year delay of Hardy's trial, some of his henchmen had come forward, pleading guilty and giving evidence against their former drugs boss, ultimately leading to his conviction.
Dwayne (Thor) Myers, a former CMB member, told the trial how easy it was to become a victim of one of Hardy's punishments by disrespecting him.
Scene: Hardy, who was known as 'World', was the founder and leader of the 'Cash Money Brothers', a gang that ran a major cocaine operation out of the Lafayette Gardens housing project in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (pictured), from the 1990s to the 2000s
Hardy was found guilty of ordering the six murders as well as drug dealing, attempted murder and kidnapping.
The jury were kept anonymous throughout the trial to protect their identities.
Hardy, and his late brother Myron, formed the notorious drugs gang Cash Money Brothers in 1991 and took control of crack dealing in the area, ruling by violence and fear. The group was named after New Jack City, a film starring Wesley Snipes.
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ShareThe gang maintained power over the housing project by dealing out regular violence and almost daily gun battles.
'Today's verdict is the culmination of more than a decade of work by prosecutors, special agents and detective to dismantle the Cash Money Brothers gang and hold Damion Hardy and Aaron Granton accountable for their heinous crimes,' said Kelly Currie, acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney.
Defense lawyers are expected to appeal the convictions of the two men.
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