David Howells/Corbis/Getty ImagesRichie Roberts helped take down drug kingpin Frank Lucas and later represented him in court.In the 1960s and 70s, Frank Lucas was one of the biggest names in the New York drug scene. He ruled the citys heroin market, but he wasnt infallible. In 1976, he was convicted of drug trafficking, and it was all thanks to prosecutor Richie Roberts or, at least, thats what American Gangster would lead you to believe.While Roberts was a real investigator who worked on Lucas case, his role in the kingpins demise was somewhat exaggerated for the 2007 Ridley Scott film. Still, while parts of the movie were fictionalized, Roberts true life was just as exhilarating as Russell Crowes portrayal onscreen.After rising through his career as a detective with the Essex County Prosecutors Office, Roberts earned his law degree and led a narcotics task force that helped put Frank Lucas behind bars. He then became a defense attorney and opened his own firm and Lucas was his first client.The two men began an unlikely friendship, and Roberts even became the godfather of Lucas son. But later in life, Richie Roberts found himself facing legal troubles of his own.How Richie Roberts Helped Take Down Frank LucasIn 1963, 26-year-old Richie Roberts was hired by the Essex County Prosecutors Office as a detective. He spent most of his time investigating organized crime groups, all while taking night classes at law school. He passed the bar exam in 1971 and was promoted to assistant prosecutor. In his new position, Roberts was chosen to head a task force under the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.At the time, Frank Lucas was one of the biggest drug traffickers in New York City. He rose to prominence by cutting out the middleman and traveling directly to Southeast Asia to source pure heroin. Even after he cut it with other substances back in New York, Lucas Blue Magic was one of the most powerful street drugs available at the time and it made him a fortune.Left: Public Domain/Right: Universal PicturesDenzel Washington (right) as Frank Lucas (left) in American Gangster.By 1975, investigators had compiled enough evidence against Lucas to raid his home, and he was convicted of drug trafficking and distribution the following year. I probably did more damage than I did good, Lucas said in 2013, per NJ.com.At that time, continued Lucas, I wasnt aware of what I was doing. All I knew was, I was making big dollars. A bad business was a good business. It was a horrible business, put it that way. I was in the heroin business the worst you can get. You cant get no lower than that, and I was in it. Up to my head. If you wanna put that I was a no good son of a bitch, be my guest. Cause thats what I was.Lucas was initially sentenced to 70 years behind bars, but after he cooperated with prosecutors to take down dozens of other offenders and reveal police corruption, he was released in 1981.The 2007 movie American Gangster follows these eventsbut how much of the film is true?The Real Story Behind American GangsterIn 2008, Sterling Johnson Jr. a federal judge who helped prosecute Lucas told the Associated Press that American Gangster was one percent reality and 99 percent Hollywood. Indeed, in interviews following the release of the movie, Richie Roberts admitted that his character, played by Russell Crowe, was a composite of a team of investigators who worked on Lucas case. Parts of the film were true, though.Roberts has said that he really did turn in $1 million in alleged drug money that he found during an investigation rather than pocketing it. But while he did get some heat for his integrity, he didnt become a pariah within the police force.Universal PicturesRussell Crowe as Richie Roberts in American Gangster.Roberts has also criticized the films writers for making him appear less bold than he really was. As he told The Washington Post in 2008, Russell stuck to what the script wanted to show. I was a little crazier than he showed. Theres a couple scenes where I wussed out on things. That never would have happened. That was nuts and his choice of shirts was horrible.Other parts of the movie were completely fabricated. Roberts wasnt really going through a custody battle while investigating Lucas. In fact, he doesnt even have children.But the twist at the end in which Roberts becomes a defense attorney and represents Lucas in court is completely true.Richie Roberts Life After American GangsterDespite Roberts and Lucas rocky introduction and the fact that Lucas once put out a hit against Roberts the two men formed an unexpected friendship later in life. After Roberts opened a defense firm in 1981, he represented Lucas when he was arrested on additional drug charges. Lucas even named Roberts the godfather of his son Ray.Their relationship wasnt always positive, though. As Roberts told The Washington Post, Since the movie started, he kind of morphed back into Frank Lucas the drug lord. And I got that old narc feeling and I thought to myself, I should have put this guy away for good.'Still, Roberts remained in touch with Lucas over the years, speaking with him shortly before his death in 2019. Roberts told NJ.com at the time that his final words to Lucas were, Bye, Frank. See you at the end of the line.No one is all good, Roberts said. No one is all bad. You try to see the good and you try to forget the bad.CUNY TV/YouTubeRichie Roberts during a 2016 interview.Perhaps no one illustrated this idea better than Roberts himself. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to failing to pay payroll and income taxes at his law firm. The following year, he was sentenced to probation for stealing $20,000 from clients trust accounts to make alimony payments. As reported by the ABA Journal in 2019, Judge Donald Collester stated at Roberts sentencing hearing, Mr. Roberts fall is pretty dramatic. As we know, there was a major movie made about a portion of his life in which he was a hero and to many, he was a man of integrity There are different words to describe Mr. Roberts today: Criminal. Thief. Liar.In the end, Richie Roberts conviction only adds to the turbulent life story that brought American Gangster to the big screen.I knew [my life] was crazy, Roberts told The Washington Post. I wanted it to be crazy. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush. I enjoyed being on the edge. I always did. But I never for a second pictured anything about a movie.After learning about Richie Roberts, read about Frank Lucas wife, Julianna Farrait. Then, learn about Frank Serpico, the N.Y.P.D. whistleblower who was shot for uncovering corruption within the force.The post Inside The Wild Life Of Richie Roberts, The Prosecutor Who Helped Put Drug Kingpin Frank Lucas Behind Bars appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Mecklenburg County SheriffRae Carruths mugshot.By the late 1990s, Rae Carruth was seen as a rising NFL star. A first-round draft pick in 1997 and expected to have a long and lucrative career he had already begun making his mark on the field with the Carolina Panthers when everything changed on a November night in 1999.Then, Carruths heavily pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, was shot and killed in a cold-blooded attack that prosecutors said Carruth helped orchestrate. Their son survived, but with lifelong disabilities.Though Carruth has long claimed innocence, he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, and spent almost two decades behind bars. This is the story of Rae Carruth and the murder of Cherica Adams. Rae Carruths Start As A Promising NFL PlayerBorn Rae Lamar Wiggins on Jan. 20, 1974, Rae Carruth grew up in Sacramento, California. From a young age, Carruth was a promising athlete. He even earned a football scholarship to the University of Colorado, where he soon developed into a top wide receiver. University of ColoradoRae Carruth at the University of Colorado.In four seasons, Carruth had 135 receptions for 2,540 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He was recognized for his ability and, in 1997, the National Football League drafted him in the first round. The Carolina Panthers selected Carruth 27th overall, and he signed a multi-million dollar contract. His future in football appeared secure, and Carruths rookie season showed early promise. He started in 14 games, recorded 44 receptions for 545 yards, and scored four touchdowns. But in 1998, a broken foot cut his season short. Though he returned the next year, his performance declined. At the same time, Rae Carruths personal life had grown more complicated. He faced child support disputes from a previous relationship and was involved in an on-and-off relationship with Cherica Adams, a real estate agent and part-time exotic dancer in North Carolina. By late 1999, Adams was eight months pregnant with Carruths child.According to the Charlotte Observer, Carruth had asked Adams if she would abort the child. He was already paying $3,000 a month in child support, and purportedly didnt want to support another child especially with his football career lagging. But Adams refused. The Night Cherica Adams Was ShotOn Nov. 16, 1999, Rae Carruth and Cherica Adams went to see a movie. They took separate cars home and, as Adams drove along, Carruth suddenly stopped in front of her, blocking her. Then, a gunman pulled up beside her and fired five shots straight into the car.Carruth then sped off. Adams had been hit four times, but she was still alive and conscious, and she managed to call 911. Saundra AdamsCherica Adams was eight months pregnant when she was shot and killed.I was following my babys daddy, Rae Carruth, the football player, Adams told the 911 dispatcher, as reported by The New York Times. He slowed down. And a car pulled up beside me[Carruth] just left. I think he did it. I dont know what to think.Adams was rushed to the hospital, where doctors were able to deliver her baby. Deprived of oxygen for 70 minutes, the baby boy, Chancellor, was born with permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy. Though Adams succumbed to her wounds, she was able to write a note for investigators, in which she repeated what she had told the 911 dispatcher. He was driving in front of me and stopped in the road, Adams wrote. And a car pulled up beside me, and he blocked the front and never came back.The Dramatic Trial Of Rae CarruthAfter being shot, Cherica Adams fell into a coma and died on Dec. 14, 1999, at the age of 24. Rae Carruth fled, but was arrested the next day in Tennessee, hiding in the trunk of a car. The Carolina Panthers released him, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. Meanwhile, Carruth faced charges of murder. However, he had not fired the fatal bullet. The killer was identified as Van Brett Watkins. But Watkins and Carruth would tell very different stories about what had happened that night. According to Carruth, Watkins had retaliated against him after Carruth backed out of a drug deal. Carruths lawyer argued in court that Carruth had promised to lend Watkins money, then changed his mind. They claimed that Watkins had then shot Adams in revenge, and that Carruth had fled the scene out of fear that he would be next. Court TVVan Brett Watkins Sr. appears in court after admitting to his role as the gunman in the 1999 shooting that killed Cherica Adams.But Watkins vehemently disagreed. He stated that Carruth had hired him as a hitman to kill Adams. According to the Charlotte Observer, Carruth initially hoped that Watkins could hurt Adams badly enough to cause her to miscarry their baby. So he said, How much would it take to beat up a girl and make her abort her baby?' Watkins recalled. I said, I dont beat up no girls. I kill people.' Watkins claimed that Carruth then asked: How much would you charge? In court, Watkins further testified: He hired me as a hit man. He hired me to kill Cherica Adams and the baby I couldnt bring myself to kill the baby. I shot at the top [of the car], not through the door.In the end, Watkins was found guilty of murdering Cherica Adams and sentenced to 40 years in prison. But Rae Carruth didnt get off scot-free. He was found guilty of conspiring to commit murder, and using an instrument to destroy an unborn child. The former NFL star was sentenced to 18 years to 24 years in prison. His son, Chancellor, has been raised by Adams mother. Rae Carruths Life After PrisonAfter almost 19 years in the North Carolina prison system, Rae Carruth was released on Oct. 22, 2018. He has remained largely out of the public eye and said little about his case. However, he agreed to a rare interview with WBTV shortly before leaving jail in which he expressed feelings of remorse. Rae CarruthA photo of Rae Carruth in prison, where he worked as a barber. I feel like if I did it in the open, it would put an end to the lies. If I say publicly, Ms. Adams [Chericas mother] I apologize, Ms. Adams, I take responsibility for what happened, that she can no longer get on television and do an interview and say Rae has never apologized to me, Carruth said.He continued: Im apologizing for the loss of her daughter. Im apologizing for the impairment of my son. I feel responsible for everything that happened. And I just want her to know that truly I am sorry for everything. If I could change anything, Id change the whole situation. His mother would still be here and I wouldnt be where Im at. So thats what Id want to change. I want the incident to never have happened at all. Rae Carruth, however, maintains his innocence. After reading about Rae Carruth, the NFL player found guilty of conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend, read about Aaron Hernandez, the NFL star found guilty of murder. Then, discover the harrowing story of Olympic gold medalist, Oscar Pistorius, who shot his girlfriend to death.The post Rae Carruth, The NFL Player Who Hired A Hitman To Kill His Pregnant Girlfriend appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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