Dominican ‘monster,’ rapper, reporter were hired killers, traffickers

New York.- A renowned rapper and a journalist of High Timesmagazine formed part of the ring of hired killers and drug trafficking led headedby Dominican-born Manuel Geovanny Rodriguez Perez “El Monstro” (The Monster)and were arrested together with the latter in 2010.

Rodriguez, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to ordering ninemurders in the Dominican Republic, New York, New Jersey and Florida and 10 countsof attempted homicides in the first degree.

Among the ring’s members also figured rap record producer KareemBurke (Biggs), which was sponsored by the company of rapper Jay Z, Roc-a FellaRecords, or which he was a founder. Federal agents taped phone conversations ofBurke talking about marijuana shipments and transactions with Rodriguez.

Prosecutors proved that the rapper was linked to the traffickingof more than 100 kilos of marijuana between 1990-2010 and in March 2012,pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle drugs and was sentenced.

The reporter, Matthew ‘Woodstock’ Stang, ‘Magazine Guy,’ was also arrested in"Operation Green Venom" which busted the ring he fronted with "TheMonster," pleaded guilty in April 2013 and was sentenced to time served.

The two, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan Southdistrict, were among the leaders of Rodriguez’s criminal organization.