[UPDATED] Dexter Isaac, New York Inmate, Says He Shot Tupac Shakur in 1994

UPDATE, 4:25 P.M., JUNE 15, 2011: A nationwide manhunt is underway for James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond–but not for this. DEA agents and Federal Marshals are tracking the hip-hop mogul after he failed to turn himself in on drug charges earlier this week. More info at the bottom of the post.

ORIGINAL POST, 2:19 P.M., JUNE 15: Nearly 15 years after the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, a Brooklyn prisoner named Dexter Isaac is reportedly claiming he shot Shakur two years prior during a robbery in New York City.

Isaac, who is currently serving a life sentence in New York for unrelated crimes, confessed to AllHipHop.com that he shot Shakur in 1994, and that he was paid $2,500 by James Rosemond–also known as Jimmy Henchman, hip-hop mogul and CEO of management company Czar Entertainment–to rob the rapper.

Learn more about Isaac's confession after the jump.
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The robbery and shooting, which LA Times reporter Chuck Philips alleges that both Notorious B.I.G. and Sean Combs knew about in advance, sparked an ongoing rivalry between Shakur and Smalls that would eventually cost both of them their lives. Shakur was murdered in Las Vegas in 1996; Smalls followed him after being shot in Los Angeles in 1997.

So why would Isaac, who had all but gotten away with the robbery and shooting, finally speak up now? According to Isaac, he wanted to give Tupac and Biggie's mothers some closure.

Rosemond, who in May turned himself in on drug charges, claims that Isaac is a government informant. Isaac hopes his confession will also disprove Rosemond's claims.

Isaac reportedly claims that he was friends with both Tupac and Biggie, and that Sean “Puffy” Combs knew about the plan all along. Via AllHipHop:

A man has admitted to
shooting rap star Tupac Shakur in 1994 after allegedly being paid $2,500
dollars by James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond inside Manhattan's Quad
Studios in November of 1994.

Dexter Isaac, a former friend of Rosemond, is an inmate currently
serving life in prison for murder, robbery and other offenses.

Isaac's full statement can be read via AllHipHop here. It is also transcribed on the next page. [

My name is Dexter Isaac. On Monday, May 23, 2011, James Rosemond released a statement in which he named myself and another individual, a Mr. Winston Harris
(who I do not know), as government informants. I would like to clear the
record on that statement: I have never been a rat for anybody and I do
not have any deals nor was I made any promises by any government agency
for information on Mr. Rosemond.

Mr. Rosemond has crucified good reporters like Chuck Philips, at the
LA Times, and Alison Gendar, at the Daily News, for telling the truth
about him and his activities. He claims they had no proof that he was a
rat for the government, which is an outright lie, because Mr. Rosemond,
you signed a proffer agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office in New
York on 10-20-1998. Mr. Rosemond, I have copies of your presentence
report from North Carolina dated 1-13-1997 and other documents about you
working with the government sending people you befriended to prison so
you can maintain your own freedom. I have met with individuals on whom
Mr. Rosemond has told.

Jimmy, I say to you: I have kept your secrets for years.
You have never been arrested because of me, or anyone of our friends
because of me. How dare you call me an informant! I have stayed silent
in prison for the past 13 years, doing a life sentence like a real
soldier should, when you and everybody have turned your backs on me. I
have never gotten any help nor asked for any help from you or anyone
since being locked up.

As a matter of fact, when I was first notified a couple years ago
that the feds and Chuck Philips were investigating you, I wrote you and
sent you everything they sent me. I kept it real with you because that's
what real G's do. Anyway, that was before I found out that you were, in
fact, already a turncoat rat for the government. Mr. Rosemond, if I was
an informant like you, I would've been home years ago with my family,
not doing life in prison.

Now I would like to clear up a few things, because the statute of
limitations is over, and no one can be charged, and I'm just plain tired
of listening to your lies.

In 1994, James Rosemond hired me to rob 2Pac Shakur at the
Quad Studio. He gave me $2,500, plus all the jewelry I took, except for
one ring, which he wanted for himself. It was the biggest of
the two diamond rings that we took. He said he wanted to put the stone
in a new setting for his girlfriend at the time, Cynthia Ried. I still
have as proof the chain that we took that night in the robbery.

Now I'm not going to talk about my friend Biggie's death or 2Pac's
death, but I would like to give their mothers some closure. It's about
time that some one did, and I will do so at a different time. Jimmy, you
and Puffy like to come off all innocent-like, but as the saying goes:
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool
all of the people all of the time.

Mr. Rosemond, I ask you: Are you going to flip on Puffy when the feds
get you? To save yourself like you have done in the past? Because
that's what a rat does. So in closing, we shall see who the rat is, in
the near future.

If anyone has any questions regarding these statement or just want to
be a friend to a real Soldier fighting for his freedom in prison feel
free to write me at:

Dexter Isaac – #49733-053

MDC Brooklyn
PO Box 329002
Brooklyn, NY 11232

More developments are coming, so stick around for updates.

UPDATE, 4:25 P.M., JUNE 15, 2011: Rosemond was indicted on cocaine distribution charges after a year-long
investigation revealed he shipped hundreds of kilos of cocaine to
recording studios around New York City.

Rosemond is also the
focus of a recent claim by New York inmate Dexter Isaac. Isaac claims
Rosemond paid him $2,500 in 1994 to rob Tupac Shakur at Quad Studios in
New York. The robbery and shooting sparked the Tupac/Biggie rivalry that
would later claim both rappers lives.

Rosemond issued a statement to AllHipHop.com
last month stating he was the victim of a conspiracy. He also stated he
would turn himself if he were promised a fair trial. If convicted, he
could receive 15 to 20 years for his role in the distribution ring.

OC Weekly - Staff