Lawyer: My client did not hire to shoot Tupac (AP)

NEW YORK – A hip-hop mogul wanted by federal authorities on drug charges did not orchestrate a plot to ambush rapper Tupac Shakur outside a recording studio in the mid-1990s, his lawyer said Thursday.

The accusations against James Rosemond, owner of Czar Entertainment, were levied online and attributed to convicted killer Dexter Isaac, who is serving a life sentence in an unrelated murder-for-hire plot. Isaac says, according to the website AllHipHop.com, that he was paid $2,500 by Rosemond to shoot and rob Shakur.

Shakur was hit five times in the shooting at the Quad Studios in Manhattan in 1994. He survived but was later gunned down in Las Vegas in a slaying that remains unsolved.

The mystery surrounding Shakur's death has fueled interest in the smallest of details about his life, as well as the old-school feud between East Coast and West Coast rap that some say contributed to his killing.

Isaac stole jewelry off Shakur and handed over a diamond ring to Rosemond after the late-night ambush, the post published Wednesday reads.

"I still have the chain that we took that night," he wrote, according to the post.

New York City police were investigating the claims, though it's not clear if anyone would face charges, in part because the incident occurred about 17 years ago. Rosemond is wanted by federal authorities in New York on drug charges and as of Thursday remained a fugitive.

Erin Mulvey, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, refused to comment on Isaac and would not give any details on Rosemond.

His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, could not comment about the federal case against his client. But he said the accusations posted online were lies fabricated because Isaac is upset he was outed as a government informant.

"This is a guy who is a blood-thirsty killer, trying to work off a life sentence, and for some reason his accusations are taken as fact?" Lichtman asked.

The post is rife with bitterness directed at Rosemond.

"Now I would like to clear up a few things, because the statute of limitations is over, and no one can be charged, and I'm just plain tired of listening to your lies," according to the post.

Isaac was convicted in the 1997 murder-for-hire shooting death of cab driver Waleed Hammouda. The victim's wife, Micheline, offered Isaac property in exchange for killing her husband. She was also convicted.

He is serving life in prison and was transferred earlier this year to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn from a prison in Colorado.

An employee at the Brooklyn detention center said inmates were not allowed to receive calls and were allowed only approved in-person visits. In order to be approved, a person must first write to the inmate and receive a visitor form.

It wasn't clear whether Isaac still had a lawyer, and a call to the website wasn't returned.

Yahoo! News

'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' Actor Michael Sarrazin Dies at 70

Michael Sarrazin, a charismatic actor who starred opposite the likes of Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand and Paul Newman in a flurry of highly regarded films in the 1960s and 1970s, died on Sunday in his native Canada after a brief battle with cancer, his spokesman confirmed. He was 70.

The Quebec-born actor shot to fame in 1969's 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' playing an aimless actor wannabe alongside Fonda in a role that lit up the screen, but carried few lines.

"You could have paid me a dollar a week to work on that," he told The Toronto Star in 1994. "It hits you bolt upright; I still get really intense when I watch it."
He followed that up two years later in the Newman hit 'Sometimes a Great Notion' and a string of successful films, including 'Harry in Your Pocket' and Streisand's 'For Pete's Sake.'

His last high profile role came in 1976's 'The Gumball Rally.'

His career may have taken a whole different path if he'd been allowed to take the role of Joe Buck in the iconic 'Midnight Cowboy' in 1968. Universal vetoed the casting and went with Jon Voight instead.

As the 1980s rolled around, his roles became more minor and he transitioned to a mix of film and television, including 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents.'

Sarrazin is survived by two daughters, a brother and a sister, all from Montreal.

Watch a Clip From 'Horses':

Filed under: Highbrow - Movie News - Celebrity Deaths Tags: Michael Sarrazin
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Mariah Carey Bares All in Intimate Pregnancy Shoot

As Mariah Carey's due date inches closer, the singer bared her pregnant belly for an intimate photo shoot for Life & Style.

Carey is reportedly just a few weeks away from giving birth to twins -- a boy and a girl -- with husband Nick Cannon.

"I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn't want to miss this opportunity to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience," Carey told Life & Style. "My ultimate goal was to share this incredibly personal moment with my true fans."

Apparently Carey wasn't the only one excited about the photo shoot.

"The babies were kicking almost the entire time; it was unbelievable," she said. "Especially the girl -- clearly she's a diva in training! We didn't start shooting until 1:30 a.m. because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!"

The singer had a bit of a scare last month when she experienced contractions strong enough to send her to the hospital, but was given the all clear to head home after a few hours, with Cannon right by her side.
"I thought I couldn't love Mariah more," Cannon said of his wife. "But I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for her."

Carey's pregnancy has also made her realize the life-changing role of motherhood.

"Now I have so much respect for mothers everywhere, especially those who've had difficult pregnancies or given birth to multiples," she said. "We need to have Mother's Day once a week!"

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