March 27, 2007

50 Cent 'Not In New York State' At Time Of Yayo Incident, Lawyer Says

By Chris Harris and Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

G-Unit MC Tony Yayo pleaded not guilty on Sunday to misdemeanor charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child, stemming from his arrest over the weekend for allegedly slapping and hitting a 14-year-old boy, who is reportedly the son of G-Unit rival Game's manager, Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond. Yayo posted $5,000 bail and was released following his arraignment.

While some unconfirmed reports placed 50 Cent at the scene of the incident, his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said that 50 was not in the state at the time.

"We are conducting our own investigation to determine exactly what happened," his statement reads. "One thing I can say with absolute certainty, however, is that at the time of the alleged incident, 50 Cent was not in New York State."

According to police, Yayo, 28 (real name: Marvin Bernard), pushed and slapped the boy, causing minor injuries to his ear and face. The incident occurred on March 20, police said, near Rosemond's New York offices. The offices are located across the street from Violator Management, which represents 50 Cent and G-Unit.

While police have yet to confirm the identity of the victim or details of the alleged assault, Cynthia Reed -- who, with Rosemond, is the parent of the boy -- claims her son was harassed by Yayo for wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of Czar Entertainment, Rosemond's company.

A statement issued by Yayo's attorney, Scott Leemon, refutes those charges. "We adamantly deny the allegations as they were set forth by the district attorney's office," the statement reads. Leemon declined MTV News' requests for further comment.

Police provided few details about Yayo's arrest, but a source close to the situation told MTV News the victim identified Yayo as his attacker to police on Saturday.

The incident was the most recent in a long string of events following Game's acrimonious departure from the G-Unit camp in 2005.