Murder Inc. Owners Acquitted of Money Laundering

Murder Inc., owner Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher Lorenzo were acquitted Friday of federal charges alleging he laundered drug money for a notorious crack kingpin.

Irving Lorenzo aka Irv Gotti and his brother Christopher were found not guilty of money laundering after two days of deliberations by a federal jury.

"I'm never going to get into any other trouble, no jaywalking, nothing," he told reporters.

The brothers who formed the rap label formerly known as Murder Inc., could have faced 20 years in prison on each counts of money laundering and conspiracy.

“This was a targeted effort to take down the rap world,” said Christopher Lorenzo. “They don’t understand our culture.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Haran said he would respect the jury's verdict.

In her closing arguments, prosecutor Carolyn Pokorny told jurors that the Lorenzos struck a deal in the late 1990s with Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who she described as "one of the biggest, baddest, most dangerous drug lords in New York City."

Defense lawyers acknowledged the Lorenzos were friends and legitimate business partners with McGriff, and helped finance his straight-to-video movie, “Crime Partners.”

The trial marked the latest in a series of entanglements between rap music figures and the law.