A NJ Court upheld the murder conviction of a once rising Harlem rapper who is serving a 75-year term for masterminding a deadly robbery at a Fort Lee hotel six years ago.

Charly Wingate, better known as “Max B,” was convicted after prosecutors argued during a trial that he sent his stepbrother, Kelvin Leerdam, and his girlfriend, Gina Conway, to the Holiday Inn on Route 4 to commit the robbery.

The two targets of the robbery, David Taylor and Allan Plowden, had been seen a few days earlier in Harlem, driving expensive cars and showing off lots of cash.

Prosecutors argued that Conway and Leerdam went to the hotel at Wingate’s behest and confronted the two men. Leerdam fatally shot Taylor during the confrontation, they said.

Both Wingate and Leerdam were convicted in the trial, and Leerdam is now serving a sentence of life plus 35 years.

Conway, who pleaded guilty for her role in the robbery and testified against the two men, was sentenced to 15 years.

Wingate and Leerdam appealed their conviction, alleging trial errors and prosecutorial missteps. An appeals panel, however, upheld their convictions in a detailed 52-page opinion on Thursday.

Beanie Sigel was arrested after a traffic stop on I-95 in Delaware County early this morning around 3:15 a.m.

Troopers noticed a tan Ford Fusion following another vehicle too closely and swerving out of its lane and pulled the Ford over. The driver was order out of the vehicle and a check for weapons revealed several prescription bottles and a small amount of marijuana.

Troopers then searched Beanie Sigel and found approximately $4,650 cash, a bottle of codeine syrup with a scratched off label, and several prescription pills wrapped in plastic bags located in a cigarette pack.

Both men were detained, and during a search of the vehicle Troopers found a firearm located in the center console. They were transported to Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Media to be processed and arraigned.

Beanie Sigel was due to report to prison on September 12, 2012 after being sentenced on tax evasion charges last month.

A gunman identified as Jeffrey Johnson executed his former co-worker Steve Ercolino outside the Empire State Building around 9AM on Friday.

Johnson attempted to flee the scene, but  a construction worker followed him and tipped off police officers. Police approached him and opened fire after Johnson aimed his gun at them, killing him on the spot.

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said all nine bystanders wounded in Friday’s Empire State Building shooting had been hit with police gunfire.

According to Kelly, of the nine wounded, three suffered gunshot wounds and six were hit by fragments.

The NYPD released the dramatic footage Friday night of their confrontation
with Johnson before they eventually shot and killed him.

Holmes was hit with 24 murder charges yesterday, two for each of the victims killed at the premiere of ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ He was also charged with 116 counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of explosives.

In court, Holmes appeared to not care that he was being charge with so many counts and at times seemed bored. He was even staring at the survivors wearing batman T-shirts inside the courtroom, who were staring right back at him.

He is facing over 1,000 years in prison. Prosecutors are still weighing whether to pursue the death penalty against Holmes. Holmes’ next court appearance is Aug. 9.

Holmes’ defenders are expected to argue that the suspect was insane.