Anthony "Harv" Ellison was convicted this past October of kidnapping and robbing 6ix9ine in July 2018, and of being a part of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang. The conviction took place after a high-profile trial that featured 6ix9ine testifying for the better part of three days about the kidnapping and his relationship with Nine Trey. On Monday, Ellison's attorneys filed a motion to get that outcome thrown out, and to give their client a whole new trial.
In a memo supporting their motion for a new trial, attorneys Deveraux Cannick and Calvin Scholar argue there was insufficient evidence to connect Ellison to Nine Trey's criminal acts. In the course of making their case, they talk about 6ix9ine's beef with Trippie Redd. During the trial, 6ix9ine talked about his crew's November 2017 confrontation with Trippie in a Manhattan hotel lobby. The rap star claimed that Harv "punched Trippie Redd in the mouth" during the incident.
In their new filing, Ellison's lawyers say that the entire Trippie beef was fake. The relevant section reads:
During trial, the government elicited testimony that Mr. Ellison was first hired as security after coming to the defense of Mr. Hernandez during a staged publicity "beef" between Hernandez and a rapper named Trippie Redd. The evidence was more than sufficient to establish that the "beef" between Hernandez and Redd was a publicity stunt. The two rappers made songs about one another. Moreover, Redd’s own manager sent Redd’s location to Hernandez ostensibly so that there could be some type of staged confrontation... After coming to Hernandez’ defense at the staged publicity event, Mr. Ellison became Hernandez’ bodyguard and part of Hernandez’ entourage.
Ellison has long claimed, both via his attorneys and directly to Complex, that his kidnapping of 6ix9ine was staged by the rapper in order to garner public sympathy. This is the first time he is publicly claiming that the Trippie beef was fake as well.
In addition to Ellison's motion, his co-defendant Aljermiah "Nuke" Mack, who was convicted of racketeering and narcotics trafficking, filed a motion on Monday asking for an acquittal despite the jury verdict.
