OMB Bloodbath is back in court for a second federal trial in murder case tied to an alleged Houston gang war.
According to a report from the Houston Chronicle on Monday (July 20), the rapper, born Alexandra Nicks, and associate Shaquile Richards are facing murder in aid of racketeering charges. A federal jury failed to reach a verdict in their first trial seven months ago, resulting in a mistrial.
Prosecutors allege Bloodbath and Richards led the 100% Third Ward Gang, also known as the 103 Gang, during a violent feud with a rival group throughout the 2010s. Authorities claim the pair helped organize a 2017 shooting targeting a member of Young Scott Block that left 52-year-old bystander Samuel Johnson dead.
Neither Bloodbath nor Richards were accused of being at the scene of the shooting, but prosecutors say texts, recorded jail calls and other evidence show they helped coordinate the attack. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Zenon-Matos told jurors the case “is not about shooters,” but about the alleged power structure behind the violence.
During the first trial, a key witness testified that neither Bloodbath nor Richards ordered the shooting, while their attorneys argued prosecutors failed to prove they were responsible for the crime.
Ahead of the retrial, prosecutors revealed they gained access to the rapper’s previously-locked phone after a computer program reportedly cracked the device after four years of attempts. Defense attorneys argued prosecutors provided too much new evidence too late, but the judge has allowed the retrial to move forward.
Both Bloodbath and Richards have been in custody since their indictment.
The new trial is currently under way after jury selection on July 9 and is expected to take about two weeks.
If convicted, both OMB Bloodbath and Richards face possible life sentences in federal prison.
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