Mystikal Pleads Guilty
Mystikal (a.k.a. Michael Tyler) appeared in a Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, courtroom yesterday to plead guilty to charges of sexual
battery. The plea was part of a deal that kept the rapper,
best-known for his 2000 hit “Shake Ya Ass,” from having to go to
trial for the more grave offense of aggravated rape, which in the
case of a conviction carries a mandatory life sentence. He will
appear in court again on September 25th to be sentenced for the
sexual battery charge, which could carry a ten-year prison term.
The rapper’s hairstylist accused him and two bodyguards —
Leland “Pokie” Ellis and Vercy “V” Carter — of forcing her to
perform sexual acts at Mystikal’s apartment after they accused her
of stealing checks and threatened to turn her in to police. Rape
charges were filed against all four in July 2002, to which all
three men plead not guilty, but a videotape of the incident was
recovered. Prosecutors chose to bargain with the three men to avoid
putting the victim on the stand and to prevent the tape from being
viewed in court. Both Ellis and Carter will also be sentenced in
September.
In addition to the sexual battery charges, all three men
initially faced claims of extortion. As part of the deal, the those
charges were dropped against Ellis and Carter, and Tyler entered a
best interest plea, which brings a sentence while allowing the
defendant to disagree with the prosecutor’s description of events.
Tyler received five years probation for the extortion charge.
A civil suit stemming from the incident was settled out of
court.