Suge Knight’s Business Partner Sentenced for Selling Sealed Video Evidence
LOS ANGELES – Suge Knight’s business partner, Mark Blankenship (58) was sentenced June 12th for selling the video evidence of the rap mogul’s hit-and-run of two men.
Even though the evidence was under seal, Blankenship violated the court order. “Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ricardo Ocampo had prohibited any evidence in Knight’s murder case, including the video, from being released to the public,” said Richard Santiago of the DA’s Office.
When the defendant “entered the plea to one felony count of conspiracy to obstruct justice in case BA452968,” he was “immediately sentenced to five years of formal probation and was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution to Tam’s Burgers,” said Deputy DA Stefan Mrakich.
Toilin Kelly (38), his codefendant, pleaded no contest to one count of conspiracy to violate a court order in October 2017. She’s on formal five-year probation, under orders to perform 100 hours of community service. Kelly was also ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution to Tam’s Burgers.
About two weeks after the January 2015 fatal hit-and-run involving Marion “Suge” Knight, the defendants arranged the sale of the video footage. The duo had spent nearly a month negotiating a deal for the video that they knew was under protective order. They received $55K, and TMZ posted the video on its site.
The cases were investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“On Oct. 4, 2018, Knight was sentenced to 28 years in state prison after pleading no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter and admitting a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon, a truck,” said Santago. “The charge stemmed from a Jan. 29, 2015 incident in which Knight ran over two men following an altercation outside of Tam’s. Terry Carter, 55, was killed and the other man was injured.”
