Cardi B pleads not guilty to felony charges in New York City strip club melee
NEW YORK -- Fresh off winning Album and Best Female Hip Hop Artist of the Year at the BET Awards, Cardi B faced a Queens judge on Tuesday for upgraded charges stemming from a fight in a strip club last summer.
The rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, was arraigned on an 11-count indictment two charges of felony attempted assault.
"Not guilty sir, honor," she said, leaning into the microphone wearing a navy blue pant suit with powder pink lapels and matching stiletto nails.
Cardi B. and alleged co-defendants Tawana Jackson-Morel and Jeffrey Bush were previously charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly throwing glass bottles at two bartenders inside a College Point strip club on August 28.
The Grammy Award winner allegedly ordered eight people, including Bush and Jackson-Morel, to assault the two women because of an accusation that they were having an affair with Cardi B's husband, Offset.
After turning down a no jail plea bargain earlier this year, Queens prosecutors put the case in front of a grand jury, which upgraded the top charges against Cardi B and the others to felonies.
Cardi B, Jackson-Morel and Bush each entered not guilty pleas to Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph Zayas.
They each face up to four years in prison if convicted on each attempted assault charge.
Cardi B is represented by Jeff Kern, while Jackson-Morel and Bush are represented by Stacey Richman, who entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.
