Ronald Herron (born c. 1982),[1] known as Ra Diggs, is an American inmate and former rapper and convicted murderer, gang leader, and drug trafficker, formerly based in Brooklyn, New York City.
Ra Diggs | |
|---|---|
 Mugshot of Ra Diggs | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ronald Herron |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation | Gangster |
| Years active | 2010 |
Career
editIn March 2010, he started posting music videos to a YouTube channel called "VANGODENT".[2] On June 11, 2010, he released a song to the channel called "Eulogy". It has over 1,007,000 views as of March 2022.[3]
On September 27, 2010, he and Uncle Murda released a song titled “Slow Down Remix.”[4]
Imprisonment
editRa Diggs was arrested on October 5, 2010, on drug charges, and was alleged to be leader of the Bloods-affiliated "Murderous Mad Dogs".[5][6][7] He was convicted on June 26, 2014, of 21 federal charges, including racketeering, drug dealing, and three murders. At trial, several of Ra Diggs songs and music videos were used as evidence because they were "literal recountings of his crimes".[8] The federal prosecuting attorney said:
He styled himself a rap artist, but the jury's verdict makes clear who Herron really is: a drug dealer and murderer who sought power through fear and intimidation.[8]
On April 2, 2015, he was sentenced to three life terms plus 105 years in prison. He told the judge that he could give him 10 life terms and that he was only going to die once, after which he was sentenced to 12 life terms plus 105 years in prison.[9] He is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence in Colorado.
On April 8, 2015, Herron sent an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit[10] claiming that his conviction violated his constitutional First Amendment rights. The conviction was upheld on February 14, 2019, with the court saying that his First Amendment challenge was "without merit".[11]
References
edit- ^ Find an inmate: RONALD HERRON − Register Number: 78527-053; Age: 38 (June 12, 2020); Release Date: LIFE. Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved June 12, 2020
- ^ "VANGODENT - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ RA DIGGS "EULOGY" (OFFICIAL VIDEO), June 11, 2010, retrieved October 2, 2021
- ^ Ra Diggs and Uncle Murda - Slow Down Remix (REAL MURDER TEAM), April 27, 2010, retrieved June 3, 2023
- ^ Bark, Theo (February 14, 2012). "Ra Diggs Murder Charge: Three Killings, Faces Death for Bragging". The Boombox.
- ^ "In Brief: Rap Videos Admissible". Law.com. May 12, 2014.
- ^ "Uncle Murda Associate Ra Diggs Arrested For Running Drug Ring, Faces Life In Prison". Baller Status. October 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Reilly, Dan (June 27, 2014). "Rapper Ra Diggs Convicted of Three Murders After His Videos Are Used as Evidence". SPIN.
- ^ Schweber, Nate (April 3, 2015). "Ra Diggs Gets 12 Life Sentences". The New York Times.
- ^ Hudson, David L. Jr. (February 21, 2019). "Court rejects gang leader's claim that his rap videos could not be used as evidence". www.mtsu.edu. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
- ^ "Brooklyn rapper, gang leader Ra Diggs loses appeal in murder, drug case". Brooklyn Eagle. February 15, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
Other sources
- Starbury, Alan (October 9, 2010). "Uncle Murda Associate Ra Diggs Arrested For Running Drug Ring, Faces Life In Prison". BallerStatus.
- Marzulli, John (February 13, 2012). "Brooklyn rapper charged with three murders, including one he boasted about on Twitter". New York Daily News.
- Clifford, Stephanie (May 27, 2014). "Artist or Gang Leader? Rapper's Trial Begins". The New York Times.
- "YouTube bragging rapper Ra Diggs found guilty of murder". BBC Newsbeat. June 27, 2014.
- Schweber, Nate (April 2, 2015). "Ronald Herron, Brooklyn Rapper Known as Ra Diggs, Gets 12 Life Prison Terms". The New York Times.
- Mosendz, Polly (April 2, 2015). "FBI: Bloods Gang Leader Ronald Herron Sentenced to Life". Newsweek.
- Marzulli, John (April 24, 2016). "Brooklyn drug kingpin gets 3 life terms in Colorado's Supermax prison". New York Daily News.