In the early hours of July 8, at approximately 4:30 a.m., popular deejay Rygin King was arrested in Queens, New York, as part of the city’s “One Less Gun” campaign. The arrest took place at the corner of 179th Street and 114th Road, where King was found in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, a loaded handgun in his possession. According to an NYPD spokesperson, he has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of a clip along with three more charges.
Rygin King was not alone in the vehicle; five other individuals were also arrested and face similar charges. Ileene Parker-Smith, 41, who was in the second-row passenger seat, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Kemor Palmer, 30, seated in the right passenger seat, received the same charge. Verol Tate, 30, was found in the middle passenger seat and charged similarly, while Rashaun Luton, 27, in the third-row passenger seat, also faced the same charges.
The driver of the vehicle, 23-year-old Jovaughn Brown, was charged with multiple offenses. In addition to criminal possession of a weapon, Brown faces charges for unauthorized use of a vehicle, false personation due to presenting false information to the arresting officer, and two traffic violations—driving without a license and signaling a turn less than 100 feet from the intersection. The vehicle involved in the arrest was identified as a 2024 Ford Explorer.
This arrest in a popular Jamaica neighborhood in New York marks a significant development in the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to reduce gun violence in the city. The “One Less Gun” campaign aims to remove illegal firearms from the streets, and the apprehension of Rygin King and his associates underscores the importance of these initiatives.
Last year Dancehall DJ Mad Cobra, real name Ewart Everton Brown, was arrested and appeared in a Florence County, South Carolina court, where his bail was set at $125,000. He posted a $5,000 surety bond for a weapons charge and a $120,000 bond for drug trafficking after being arrested with two kilograms of cocaine and a pistol on Interstate 95.
As of now, there has not been an update on the Mad Cobra case.
World Music Views will continue to monitor and report on these developing stories.
