The girlfriend of Death Row Records founder Suge Knight pleaded no contest Thursday to criminal charges of unlawfully selling a video that could be used as evidence for the rap mogul’s upcoming murder trial.
Toilin Kelly, 37, entered a plea to one count of conspiracy to violate a court order, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Officials said Kelly and her business partner, Mark Blankenship, sold a video of the fatal hit-and-run involving Knight about two weeks after the Jan.29, 2015 incident at Tam’s Burger parking lot in Compton.
Kelly was placed on five years formal probation and 100 hours of community service. She also was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution to Tam’s Burgers. Prosecutors said the video, which was sealed under a protective court order, allegedly shows Knight killing 55-year old Terry Carter and injuring another man. Prosecutors said Kelly and Blankenship, who were unaware of the protective order, spent about a month negotiating a deal to sell the footage. A website paid $55,000 for the video, officials said.
A grand jury indicted Kelly and Blankenship, who also faces one felony count of conspiracy to violate a court order and conspiracy to commit grand theft. Blankenship has been ordered to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 24.
Knight, who remains in custody for murder and other charges, is scheduled to be back in court for another hearing on Nov. 14. His jury trial is set for April 2018, according to court records.
