*Suge Knight’s girlfriend and his business partner have been indicted for alleging selling video of a hit-and-run fatality to TMZ for $55,000, reports Variety.
His girlfriend, Toilin Kelly, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to violate a court order, and conspiracy to commit grand theft. Suge’s business partner, Mark Blankenship, is awaiting arraignment on the same charges.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Kelly and Blankenship spent nearly a month hammering out a deal with TMZ for the sale of the surveillance footage, which shows Knight running over two men in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers in Compton, Calif. One of the men, Terry Carter, died of his injuries. Suge is currently in jail and awaiting trial for murder in connection with the incident.
Prosecutors say the video was subject to a protective order forbidding its release because it was evidence in the murder case. A grand jury indicted the pair on July 28, and the indictment was unsealed on Wednesday upon Kelly’s not guilty plea.
If convicted, the defendants face up to three years in prison.
Prosecutors have previously released summaries of text messages and phone calls detailing efforts to sell the video to TMZ. They have also accused Blankenship and Kelly of participating in a plan to pay witnesses to testify on Knight’s behalf, a charge that has been denied.
