Buju Banton Appeals Drug Conviction
Buju Banton has filed an appeal of his federal drug conviction, claiming the evidence against him was inconclusive and that he was the victim of entrapment.
The Grammy-winning reggae star is serving a 10-year prison sentence after his conviction on cocaine conspiracy on drug trafficking in February. According to the Associated Press, the appeal, filed Friday by attorney David O. Markus, claims that the evidence against Buju wasn't substantial enough to warrant the conviction. It also alleges that Banton was doggedly pursued by a federal informant seeking a $50,000 government fee, resulting in improper entrapment.
The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals most likely won't release a decision on the appeal for months.
Banton is a veteran superstar in his native Jamaica and the international reggae community, and won a Best Reggae Album Grammy for his 2010 Before the Dawn shortly before his conviction.
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