Posted by Texas rapper OMB Bloodbath has been found guilty at retrial for her role in a 2017 gang-related murder in Houston. The verdict, delivered on Monday, Aug. 3, follows a rigorous two-week trial and extensive jury deliberations.
The rapper, born Alexandra Nicks, faced the court alongside her codefendant, Shaquille Richards. Both were convicted of using a firearm during a racketeering murder and murder in aid of racketeering. The charges stem from the orchestration of a gang shooting that tragically resulted in the death of 52-year-old Samuel Johnson, an innocent bystander, nine years ago.
This conviction marks a significant turn in the legal proceedings, as the initial trial in January ended in a mistrial. During the second trial, the prosecution presented a more comprehensive body of evidence, including recorded jail phone calls between Nicks and Richards, text messages, and social media communications. Crucially, the prosecution introduced new information extracted from Bloodbath’s cellphone that had not been available during the first trial, which appeared to be a deciding factor for the jury.
“This case is not about shooters,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Zenon-Matos stated during the opening of the trial, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. “This case is about power.”
Prosecutors successfully argued that both Bloodbath and Richards served as leaders of Houston’s 100% Third Ward (103) Gang. The evidence established that the pair organized an attempted shooting targeting a rival gang member, which ultimately led to the fatal shooting of Johnson.
Following the guilty verdict, Bloodbath and Richards are scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 4. They face the potential of life imprisonment. XXL has reached out to legal counsel for OMB Bloodbath for comment regarding the verdict.