Lil’ Kim’s apparent tall tales are causing the diminutive rapper some trouble.
Kim is free on $500,000 bond after being indicted Wednesday on eight felony charges for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury investigating a 2001 shootout involving her posse.
The 28-year-old hip-hopster was charged under her real name, Kimberly Jones, with conspiracy to commit perjury, making false statements and obstructing justice.
Her manager (Damion Butler), bodyguard (Suif Jackson) and friend (Monique Dopwell) were also charged in the case.
Kim surrendered early Wednesday at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. She was released hours later after appearing before a judge, pleading not guilty to all charges and posting bond.
Her attorney, Mel Sachs, told reporters, “These charges are baseless and I’m confident that the case against her will be completely dismissed.”
Court documents, published on The Smoking Gun, claim Kim lied about the gunplay she witnessed outside the offices of New York radio station Hot 97 following an interview on Feb. 25, 2001.
Kim–who’s also referred to as Notorious Kim and Queen Bee–and her posse were said to be leaving the WQHT building as rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga’s crew was arriving. Shots were fired, leaving one man with a bullet in his back.
According to the indictment, Kim refused to ID to cops the members of her entourage who had accompanied her to the radio station. She also went on to lie during three grand jury appearances last year about what she saw, what information she might have about a possible motive and her relationship to the suspected shooters, Butler and Jackson.
According to prosecutors, Butler and Jackson were introduced to Kim in the mid ’90s through Notorious B.I.G., when she was a part of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. rap group. Butler allegedly went on to work out of Kim’s home while Jackson was a frequent house guest.
Sources suggest the battle stemmed from a feud between Kim and fellow rapper Foxy Brown and that after the shootout the gunmen drove back to Kim’s Englewood, New Jersey, home where they disposed of their guns.
But in prior testimony, Kim denied seeing Butler on the day in question and claimed not to be familiar with Jackson.
Just last year, Kim appeared to have resolved her legal woes when she posted $350 bail on a four-year-old warrant stemming from a July 1996 bust at Biggie’s home. She had been charged with marijuana possession but never showed in court.
Credit: E! Online