Former felons imprisoned after Lakewood Park rap video shoot

HOUSTON, TX -- The last of 11 Houston men convicted in a conspiracy to unlawfully possess a firearm by a felon has been sent to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.

Joshua Amos, 31, pleaded guilty July 11. Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered him to prison for 30 months. Also sentenced this week were the remaining 10 defendants who had also pleaded guilty to the federal charges that resulted from a rap video filmed in Northeast Houston’s Lakewood Park March 28, 2018.

The lead rapper in that video - Warren Brown II aka NFL Cartel Bo, 30 - received a 78-month term of imprisonment. Ivory Vershone Brown, 31, was the last to plead guilty and was also sentenced yesterday, receiving 36 months in prison, while Keithric Lewis, 30, was ordered to serve a 60-month sentence.

Roland Labome, 34, Garrett Winn, 30, and Devonte Haynes, 26, all received 30 months, while Kenneth Fontenot 22, and Marces Randolph, 30, were both ordered to serve 24-month terms of imprisonment.

Jerrell Grant, 37, and Frenton Price, 33, received respective terms of 36 months and 20 months.

At the hearings that began Dec. 16 and concluded today, the court heard additional evidence that detailed the unlawful possession of eight loaded firearms by convicted felons during the filming of a rap video.

During the video shoot, numerous criminal street gang members – all convicted felons - gathered in the park to film a music video promoting gangs in Houston. All brandished firearms on the basketball court. After receiving a 911 call, authorities responded to the scene to find that a majority of the group had fled the area. Law enforcement subsequently located eight loaded firearms abandoned at the park. The music video was released May 20, 2018, via YouTube which WorldStarHipHop.com promoted. From the video, authorities were able to identify each person who was in possession of a firearm by comparing each gun recovered at the scene to the ones they held in the video.

With the exception of Winn, Amos, Price, Randolph and Labome, all have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The others had been previously released but were permitted to voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Britni Cooper and Lisa Collins are prosecuting the case.