YNW Melly is just ahead of his second trial in his alleged double murder case, and things took a turn this week when he was hit with a witness tampering charge. The news came after it was revealed that Melly's co-defendant, YNW Bortlen, had been arrested and given a similar charge. It also followed police raiding the home of Neak Baby, Bortlen's girlfriend. It was initially unclear what led to the new charges, however, more information has now been unveiled.
According to TMZ Hip Hop, documents suggest that Melly and Bortlen had been working together to keep witnesses from talking to police and testifying in their trials. They're accused of communicating via phone, despite Melly having had his phone privileges revoked over disciplinary violations. The documents claim that another inmate would communicate to Bortlen, who was out on bond, on behalf of Melly. Allegedly, they used code names for key witnesses. The docs suggest they used "Rihanna" and "A$AP Rocky's baby mama" as code for one woman in particular. Authorities believe they were able to instruct the witness to not appear at the trial.
YNW Melly And YNW Bortlen Charged With Witness Tampering
The documents additionally claim that Melly's been communicating with other inmates using nonverbal cues. Authorities say they have footage of him using these cues to move hand-written notes around the facility. Melly's team calls the allegations a "desperate attempt" to convict him.
Jury selection for Melly's second trial is scheduled to begin on October 9. His team thinks the process could take a while, considering how long it took last time around. The 24-year-old remains confident that he'll be able to beat the case, recently telling his father that God is at work and he'll be home soon. What do you think of Melly and Bortlen allegedly using "Rihanna" as a code name for one of the witnesses? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on YNW Melly.
