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Rumors circulating online about the alleged indictment of hip-hop star Lil Tjay, Tione Jayden Merritt, have been thoroughly debunked by the rapper’s legal team.
On September 13, 2024, Lil Tjay’s attorney, Dawn Florio, responded to the rumors, clarifying the situation in an interview with AllHipHop. Florio confirmed that her client Tione Jayden Merritt has not been indicted, and emphasized that the rumors are entirely false.
"Despite recent reports, we want to clarify that my client, rap artist Tione Jayden Merritt, professionally known as Lil Tjay, has not been indicted," Florio stated.
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The rumors began circulating after FOX 5 television station released the names and photos of alleged criminals involved in a gang-related indictment, which includes 176 charges. Among the images briefly displayed was a mugshot of Lil Tjay, sparking speculation about his involvement.
Rumors of Lil Tjay's indictment are false
As aforementioned, reports claiming that artist Lil Tjay has been indicted on criminal charges, which quickly spread across social media platforms, have been confirmed as untrue by his attorney. Tjay’s legal counsel, Dawn Florio, also commented that they are aware of several news outlets circulating the false information.
"We are aware of several news outlets that have shared false information regarding his legal matters, and we wish to address these inaccuracies," Dawn stated.
Florio added that media outlets are strongly advised to be careful and thorough in verifying information before publishing any reports, particularly those based on speculation or lacking solid evidence.
"We urge all media outlets to exercise caution and ensure proper due diligence before publishing speculative or unfounded claims," Florio said.
Tione's attorney further emphasized that false information like this damages the reputation and misleads the public about her client.
"Reporting inaccurate information not only damages reputations but misleads the public. At this time, we will not be offering further comment on the situation," Dawn concluded.
Further evidence proves Tjay's innocence
A brief FOX 5 broadcast that displayed mugshots of alleged gang members involved in a 176-count indictment, including Lil Tjay, appears to be inaccurate. The second piece of evidence, after Florio's statement, is that when the Bronx District Attorney released the names of 20 defendants associated with the alleged Slaughtery or Slattery gang in August 2024, Tione’s name was not included.
The list of defendants, as per AllHipHop, included Israel Lugo, Feenix Charley, Nasiem King, Dayron Williams, Nadine Asamoah, Joseph Illery, Shyhiem Chambers, Benito Buxton, Clarence Roberts, Jahmeal Weekes, Brian Cespedes, Briana Portalatin, Keith Douglas, Rodney Asamoah and Joseph Valdez. Many minors were also indicted, but their names were not disclosed by the authorities.
Moreover, the video clip circulating online that shows Lil Tjay being handcuffed and dragged to the police car is from an incident from January 2023, when the rapper was arrested in The Bronx over an alleged weapons violation. As per TMZ, the rapper was stopped at a traffic signal by the New York Police Department, when he was heading to create a music video with fellow rapper Ice Spice.
The Bronx District Attorney has reported that the alleged Slaughtery gang is implicated in 14 shooting incidents, a slashing inside a courthouse, a carjacking, and various other crimes from 2020 to 2024. The investigation, which lasted 18 months, resulted in charges including attempted murder, assault, attempted gang assault, robbery, and conspiracy, among others.
"Slaughtery members and associates posted Drill rap videos onto YouTube in which they bragged about shootings and mocked murdered rivals. 15 handguns and pistols were recovered in the investigation," the Bronx D.A. added.
The investigation of the alleged criminal charges on the gang continues.
For now, Lil Tjay has not addressed the mugshot brief, and neither have the news outlets reflected on his attorney's claims.
