Cardi B Pleads Not Guilty To Felony Charges Over Strip Club Brawl
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Rapper Cardi B was arraigned in Queens criminal court on felony charges Tuesday after being indicted by a grand jury.
The 26-year-old was charged in connection with an alleged August attack on a bartender at Angels Strip Club in Flushing, Queens.
A conviction could mean time behind bars.
A crowd gathered outside the court as a waving Cardi B walked in.
Inside, she entered a not guilty plea along with two other defendants on charges of attempted assault, harassment, conspiracy and other crimes.
Just two days ago she performed at the BET Awards where she chanted "I ain't going to jail, I got a daughter." But the trio faces up to four years behind bars.
Her husband, Offset, was asked about her legal trouble before the ceremony.
"Man, we blessed, man. That ain't no good question to be asking, you know what I'm saying? We blessed," he said.
Last week, she was indicted by a grand jury on felony charges. She was originally facing misdemeanor charges, but prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury after she rejected a plea deal.
"Do you regret not taking the plea deal?" CBS2's Alice Gainer asked the rapper's attorney, but got no reply. Cardi B also declined to comment.
It's alleged that Belcalis Almanzar, known as Cardi B, Taiwan Jackson-Morel and Jeffrey Bush got into a fight last August at Angels strip club in Queens with two of the club's female bartenders, throwing bottles at them, drinks, and slamming one woman's head on the bar.
All three entered not guilty pleas.
The district attorney claims it was premeditated, and that the three suspects used social media to coordinate the attacks, including a plan to record the assaults.
"I know Cardi as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister. I know Cardi B to be a decent and kind human being," her attorney said.
All three were released on their own recognizance, and two of the defendants will be back in court in September.
Cardi B's next court date will be determined at that time.
