Wednesday, Judge Robert Gottsfield formally sentenced former Roc-A-Fella rapper Tru Life and his brother Marcus Rosado to eight and ten-year sentences respectively. In February, Tru Life—born Robert Rosado—and his brother both accepted plea deals in the 2009 stabbing death of Christopher Guerrero.
“Christopher, who was unarmed and defenseless, was attacked,” Jason Ramirez, who was Guerrero’s brother, told the Associated Press. “We believe the system has failed us.”
Tru Life and his brother released statements through their lawyers stating Guerrero was not their intended target. According to court documents, Guerrero was an innocent bystander in a nightclub argument that turned violent.
“The Rosados chased Guerrero and Jason Gray into the lobby, where Guerrero was stabbed in the abdomen and Gray suffered a cut that sliced an artery,” reports the AP. “Guerrero and Gray] got outside and collapsed on the ground.”
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The now 34-year-old rapper made a name for himself on the mixtape scene, eventually inking a deal as part of Jay-Z’s Roc-La Familia imprint. After Jay-Z’s presidency at Def Jam, Roc-La Familia’s parent label, ended, Tru Life expressed hopes of remaining on Roc-A-Fella. He never released an album with the label.
“Robert is extremely saddened by what happened,” said Tru Life’s lawyer, Alan Abramson, in a released statement. “Mr. Guerrero did not deserve what happened to him.”
