News of July 24, 1997
Grand Jury Examines the Origins of Death Row
Did the seed money come from convicted drug dealers? In July 1997, the Justice Department convened a grand jury into the origins of Tupac's last label.
The investigation into Death Row Records entered a critical phase in the summer of 1997. On July 24, the Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had convened a grand jury in Los Angeles to examine the origins of the label. In focus was the relationship between incarcerated label boss Suge Knight, his attorney David Kenner, and two convicted drug traffickers, Michael “Harry-O” Harris and Patrick Johnson.
Seed Money from Prison?
Investigators wanted to know whether Harris and Johnson, both former clients of Kenner, had provided money for the founding. Harris, who was serving a 28-year sentence, claimed that he had provided 1.5 million dollars in late 1991 for the launch. Knight denied this. Officially, the Department of Justice did not confirm any proceedings; according to sources of the newspaper, the probe involved tax offenses and potential ties to gangs, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
In early September, the newspaper reported that FBI agents had questioned music executives in Los Angeles about Harris. The magazine summarizes this storyline: Inmate Harry-O: “I Helped Co-Found Death Row”.