Buju Banton Received Ten Years in Prison Thanks to a Shady Snitch With Money Woes
Categories: News
 |
| photo by Jonathan Mannion |
| Buju Banton |
In this week's New Times, an investigation explores why the government needed two weeklong trials to secure its celebrity conviction and tells the tale of Alex Johnson, the shady, financially troubled confidential informant who set up Buju in exchange for a huge payout.
Banton, who lived in Tamarac, met Johnson on a flight back to Florida from Europe and later followed him to a warehouse on the Gulf Coast where the snitch set up a cocaine deal while the feds were watching.
But Johnson actually gets a cut of all the money seized in the busts he sets up and has ultimately earned nearly $3.5 million from the government -- yet he owed the IRS nearly $200,000 and has filed for bankruptcy.
Check out our full feature story about Banton's flawed arrest and the snitch who took him down.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
