Jamal Rashid is a rapper and a producer, and now he’s also a convicted pimp.
Rashid, better known as "Mally Mall," agreed to a plea deal in U.S. District Court, admitting he used his escort services as fronts for prostitution for 12 years, and pled guilty to the charge of using an interstate facility in aid of unlawful activity.
It appears to end a lengthy and controversial probe of not only Rashid, but also of detectives inside Metro’s Vice Unit.
“I think what compounds it is certainly – first of all – the celebrity of Mally Mall," State of Nevada contributor John L. Smith said, "That has a certain paparazzi feel to it but beyond that, of course, were the allegations level against him and against people inside Metro Vice.”
The allegations against the Vice Unit were that Mally Mall and the detectives were "holding hands," according to Smith. That Rashid was providing information about other pimps to Metro, which isn't all that unusual, but there were also accusations that officers were having sex with prostitutes that Rashid provided and accepting money from Rashid in exchange for protection from prosecution.
The allegations came from Ocean Fleming, another convicted pimp.
“He was serving a prison sentence, didn’t like staying in prison, turns out, and wanted out and started talking about what he knew, what he said he knew about the business,” Smith said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office investigated the allegations and found smoke but no fire.
“According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, it was not proved up to the level that they could make a charge out of it,” Smith said.
No Metro Vice officers were charged with a crime.
The judge did decide that Fleming's sentence was too long and lowered that.
As Fleming is coming out of prison, Rashid is going in. Smith said Rashid operated a high-end business for a very long time.
“When you can operate a dozen years at that kind of level with that kind of high profile on the [internet], this is a well-known person in the rap world, you’re either living very lucky or you’ve got friends,” he said.
Smith expects Rashid to be behind bars for just a few months.
While the officers weren't charged and the U.S. Attorney's Office considers the case closed, Smith notes that in the sleazy work of trying to catch the people promoting prostitution in Las Vegas - controversy isn't far away.
“I don't think we’ve seen the last controversy either out of Metro Vice or out of the vice business in Las Vegas,” he said.
PGA ALLOWING BETTING ON THE TOUR
“With the rollback of the PASPA [Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act] decision from the Supreme Court, opening up sports betting to other jurisdictions outside Nevada, this was a natural thing. Other leagues have already caught on in a big way,” he said.
Smith said other leagues had already partnered with casinos and the gold rush is on in the world of sports betting.
He finds the fact that professional golf is getting in on the action interesting considering gambling and golf have gone together nearly since the game was invented.
Smith said some of the top names in golf are known gamblers including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. He also pointed out that some of the old-time greats of the game grew up hustling golf.
“Gambling is part of the society. It always has been but now it’s come out of the shadow into the light,” he said.
NEVADA DAY
“I think we have this holiday to remind the rest of the country that we really are one of the 50 states despite our crazy. We have big crazy in Nevada,” he said.
Not every state celebrates its inclusion into the Union, but Nevada does in a big way.
Even though the actual day is Oct. 31, 1864, the holiday is celebrated on the last Friday of the month, because as Smith said -- who doesn't want a Friday off?
John L Smith, KNPR Contributor