Rapper Whose Songs Include ‘Sell Drugz’ Arrested For Allegedly Selling Drugs In Pennsylvania

Police have arrested a rap artist known for the song “Sell Drugz” on charges related to allegedly selling drugs to an undercover cop.

The bust was the result of a month-long investigation by the Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Drug Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to multiple media reports, the suspect is Johnston, Rhode Island, resident Michael Persaud, 29, whose stage name is reportedly Montana Millz. He was arrested along with a female companion who also hails from the same town.

The Lebanon Daily News provides more background on the rapper’s bust in Lebanon and a subsequent police raid.

“Persaud sold an undercover police officer 70 bags of heroin for $300 on Oct. 28 while at the Days Inn…and he and [Tiffany] Irizarry were taken into custody at that time, the [Lebanon County District Attorney’s office] news release said. A search warrant was obtained for their hotel room, and police say they found about 70 grams of bulk heroin, cutting agents, a grinder and new packaging material within the room, according to the news release.”

Rapper who performs 'Sell Drugz' charged with selling drugs https://t.co/O6umarOZTO pic.twitter.com/2fkYETbjDd

— ITV News (@itvnews) November 1, 2016

Authorities say that the heroin found in the motel room search has an approximate $11,500 street value and would allegedly fill about 2,300 more bags, the Lebanon Daily News added.

“Police said it wasn’t the first time Persaud sold drugs to the undercover agent. It’s alleged that it happened over a month’s period of time at various locations throughout the city,” ABC27, WHTM in Harrisburg alleged.

Persaud faces nine drug-related charges “including including delivery, possession, and possession with intent to deliver heroin, criminal conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility,” the Johnston Patch explained, while Irizarry faces seven counts. They are or were being held subject to $100,000 bail in the Lebanon County Correctional Facility.

In addition to Montana Millz “Sell Drugz” rap, “Persaud’s catalog includes songs titled ‘Gun Play,’ ‘Armed and Ready’ and ‘Groupie Hoes'” the Daily Mail claimed. He is reportedly owner of a rap group called Alien Music Group.

Reacting to the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, arrest, the FindLaw website presented the following legal analysis of the case involving Rhode Island rapper Montana Millz.

“Practically unknown rapper Montana Millz, who sings the song ‘Sell Drugz,’ was arrested last week for selling drugs. In what has to be more than simply a coincidence, the rap artist’s drug-friendly tune is about how he and his accomplices are now doing financially well because of selling drugs…When an artist talks about illegal activity, frequently, it is presumed by the public to be fiction, or part of the creative license granted to artists to embellish or appropriate the truth for the sake of art. In the case of Millz, while his lyrics to his song ‘Sell Drugz’ do not specifically explain what or how he was selling the heroin, there’s a chance that it could be used as evidence against him…

“Basically, artists do have freedom of speech, and there are protections that might prevent their lyrics from being used against them, but it is probably best to not admit to committing crimes while being recorded. While a defendant cannot be compelled to testify against themselves, when an artist’s work is as damning of an admission of guilt as Millz’s song, it makes the legal defense much more difficult.”

TurtleBoySports offered this observation about the Montana Millz arrest: “First of all, if you’re gonna go into drug dealing, then don’t make songs called ‘Sell Drugz’…Secondly, if you’re a so-called ‘rapper,’ and you’re still selling drugs, then you’re obviously not very good at rapping.”

As with all criminal defendants, the suspect is considered innocent until proven guilty, and it will be up to prosecutors to, in a sense, prove if art imitates life, or vice versa, perhaps.

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