In what many are already calling one of the most sensational federal criminal cases in recent Los Angeles history, federal prosecutors have unleashed a truckload of evidence against Eugene Henley, 'Big U' more than 20,000 intercepted phone calls and covert recordings, hoping to flatten any defense that the ex-Hip Hop insider might put up.
The figure who once floored opponents with his reputation as an amateur boxer got his start as a music label executive and community activist before becoming known as a streetwise character of doubtful repute. Henley is now being portrayed as the architect of a decade-long reign of violence, fear, and fraudulent debt buying. The so-called "Big U Enterprise," prosecutors said, was anything but small-time. Dating back at least to 2010 and continuing until his recent arrest, Henley deployed his sway over the Rollin' 60s gang and others to put in place a far-flung criminal enterprise awash in extortion, wire fraud, tax evasion, and, allegedly, murder, the feds claim.
But it isn't just the charges that are staggering but the volume and nature of the evidence. Dagger art described it as "secretly recorded videos and audio" that allegedly depict Big U in five minutes of unfiltered leadership rather than the polished image he presented as a community leader.
"I'm retired, n####? Activist? I'll pull up on your block like right now, n####, and show up and show out, n####. That's what happened to the last n##### that thought I was retired."
It's precisely this hard-edged talk that will shock the jury. Prosecutors could frame it as completely inappropriate, given how Henley presented himself publicly, and that might be tough for jurors to unhear.
To add drama, federal prosecutors have already asked for a protective order for the evidence, suggesting how explosive and sensitive this material could be. Attorneys who are monitoring the case said that is a move usually reserved for evidence that could not only affect a jury's verdict but also inflame public opinion.
The charges are broad: RICO conspiracy, robbery, extortion, human trafficking, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring musician. Maybe more jaw-dropping is the accusation that Henley skimmed funds from federal COVID-19 relief money and donations by celebrities, money meant to lift some of the struggling communities he said he served and directed it to his own personal, perhaps criminal enterprise.
Big U continued to protest his innocence before surrendering, claiming the government was pursuing him because he was a case worker. But as this documentary trove dominates large in court, his precious words begin to sound like echoes drowned out by 20,000 ticking time bombs with his voice. With the trial looming, Big U is not only fighting federal charges but is fighting himself on tape.
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