YNW Melly Accused of Planning Escape From Jail, Attorney Denies Claims
YNW Melly is being accused of planning an escape from the Broward County Jail by claiming he would get the assistance of one of his attorneys.
On Tuesday (Sept. 27), another pre-trial hearing was held for YNW Melly's upcoming double-murder trial to discuss a motion to request removal of visitation, communication or interaction restrictions that have been placed on Melly, born Jamell Demons, since March.
During the hearing, the prosecution provided evidence from a confidential source that YNW Melly conspired to attempt a jail break back in April.
“The confidential source gave us two pieces of information. One of them [about the shank and drugs] turned out to be a hundred percent true,” Christian Tsoubanos, Assistant General Counsel for the Broward Sheriff’s Office told the court on Tuesday. “And when they did the search of Demons’ cell, they did not find the handcuff key, but it could have been that there was not an opportunity to bring it into the facility yet.”
Additionally, the Broward County Sheriff’s General Counsel’s Office provided a statement to Complex spelling out the allegations.
“On April 11, 2022, Broward Sheriff’s Office received a confidential tip regarding inmates Nicholas Lewis and Jamell Demons, both housed in the same unit at the Main Jail, planning an escape from jail by having Demons’ attorney bring in two handcuff keys to aid in the escape," the statement reads in part. "Additional information provided by the source was that Lewis had a shank and drugs.”
Further accusations claim Melly has been making unauthorized calls, with Liberty allegedly giving people her log-in information so the South Florida rapper can conduct “non-recorded video visitation.”
Melly's attorney, Raven Liberty, has responded to XXL's request for comment. She calls the allegations baseless.
"There is no truthfulness to this whatsoever," she tells XXL. "When Melly comes into visits, whether it's [with] me, my investigator or anybody else, he is strip searched coming into the visit, and when he leaves the visit he is strip searched. If there would have been any type of contraband i.e. keys, they would have found it."
Liberty asserts no keys have ever been found on YNW Melly's person.
"This is basically a flat-out lie and a smear campaign," she added.
This news comes on the heels of it being reported that YNW Melly was falsely accused of having pipe bombs in his cell by a fellow inmate. Melly has been on visitation restriction since the allegation.
XXL has reached out to the Broward Sheriff's Office for comment.
YNW Melly has been locked up since being arrested in February of 2019 and charged with the Oct. 26, 2018 murders of his associates YNW Juvy aka Chris Thomas, 20; and YNW Sakchaser aka Anthony Williams, 21. He was initially facing the death penalty if found guilty. In July, a judge decided not to pursue the death penalty sentence.