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Jamal Shyne Barrow Facing Deportation

[Linked Image] Rapper Jamal "Shyne" barrow - the eldest son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow was released from a federal prison in New York today. He has spent eight and a half years out of a 10 year sentence for a shooting in 1999. But the news tonight is that the 31 year old Shyne Barrow isn't a free man and he may be facing deportation - that could mean back to Belize - the country he left when he was 7.

On its [u]website - the New York Department of Correctional Services[/u] indicates that Shyne Barrow - who legally changed his name to Moses Michael Leviy - was released today. But multiple news reports on the internet are that Shyne Barrow was released into the custody of ICE - the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are now reportedly deliberating whether or not to deport Shyne Barrow who was born in Belize but had a U.S. green card - giving him permanent residence status. That is unconfirmed - but what we do know tonight is that Shyne's fate is uncertain.

His relatives in Belize who include his uncle and aunt Michael and Dianne Finnegan say they are following developments closely and we will keep in contact with his mother - Imeon Myvette who is Finnegan's sister. Shyne was tried and convicted in 2001 for the incident which occurred in 1999. He was convicted of assault in the 1st degree, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and assault. It was believed at the time that Shyne took the fall for his record label boss Sean Combs.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15191


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Shyne, rapper and son of PM might be deported to Belize

[Linked Image] Not much has been heard of Jamal Barrow until 2000 when he release his first album "Shyne", named after himself. The rapper, the son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, left Belize at an early age for the United states where he was recruited by Bad Boy Records. His hit song was "Bad Boyz" featuring Jamaica's Barrington Levy, but Shyne ran into problems with the law ten years ago and having served time, he is now facing deportation to Belize. News Five's Jose Sanchez has a look at what's next for the rapper.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

He was born Jamal Barrow, son of Imeon Myvette and Prime Minister Dean Barrow. His mother migrated to the USA when he was a boy. That was during a time when people still asked "Where is Belize?" But this kid and occasional bad boy had a talent for spouting lyrics and he wanted to shine.

Shyne, became his artist name and he linked up and got a record deal with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who signed him to his Bad Boy Entertainment label. His voice was critically compared to Hip Hop icon, Biggie Smalls. But any Belizean can tell you that the voice is his father's. Shyne's career was about to skyrocket, but on December twenty-seventh, 1999, while partying at Club New York with Combs and then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, two persons were shot. Behind the haze, Shyne was seen holding the smoking gun.

Shyne was convicted on two counts of assault, reckless endangerment and gun possession for the shootings. In June of 2001, the twenty-one year old rapper was sentenced to ten years. His relationship at the time had soured with Bad Boy C.E.O. Sean Combs.

While incarcerated, he released a sophomore album called Godfather buried Alive which featured Barrington Levy in the track "Bonnie and Shyne." In 2006, he changed his name to Moses Levi, to reflect his conversion to Judaism.
On Tuesday, Shyne was released from State custody but detained once more because he is not a US citizen. According to his attorney, Oscar Michelen, he could be deported.

Oscar Michelen, Attorney for Shyne

"He's a permanent resident alien of the US. He was transferred yesterday from state custody into federal custody while they determine what his immigration status will be, we are fighting and arguing that he should be allowed to stay here in the country and the government is looking at whether they may deport him."

Jose Sanchez

"He was born in Belize; he was in the US most of his life. Why doesn't he have US citizenship?"

Oscar Michelen

"I never asked him why his mother never formalized his citizenship and I think it was just a matter of not getting around to it. He was very young if you remember, he was nineteen or twenty when he was convicted. So it's not like he's an old man. He never really had much of an opportunity as an adult to do it himself. His family never got around to doing it."

Jose Sanchez

"With the way things have changed since nine-eleven do you think that might have an impact on the outcome?"

Oscar Michelen

"Yes of course, everybody knows that obviously, nine-eleven has made it more difficult for permanent resident aliens who have been convicted of crimes to stay in the country."

Shyne has kept close contact with his uncle and Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

Michael Finnegan, Shyne's Uncle

"He's in good spirit, extremely good spirit. His mother is sort of concerned, as any mother would be, but the boy is in good spirits. But if anything ih wah come home and he will be where-well yoh know I raise ah. When ih mother went to di states and me and my wife were his guardian, so if ih have to come back dah Belize ih gwein right dah Goldson Avenue and I wah-he will be comfortable there. All the accommodations are being made to accommodate him if he has to come back in Belize. He wants me to make immediate accommodations for him if he has to come back. That is the worst case scenario."

Oscar Michelen

"We have hired immigration lawyers who are in Buffalo New York now, working on his case and we think we have some very strong arguments for his staying in the country. So we're hopeful that we will be able to avoid deportation and we're actually waiting to see what results our immigration lawyers can obtain for our client. He wants to stay here in the country and that's the goal that we're trying to achieve for him."

Jose Sanchez

"What arguments do you have in his favour?"

Oscar Michelen

"Well, first of all, he was a model prisoner. He served his complete sentence. There are victims in the shooting incident; he has a pending civil lawsuit here. Many times when you are a party to a civil lawsuit, you can't be deported while the civil lawsuit is pending. So that's one of the other arguments and we're continuing to try to resolve the civil case and the best way that the plaintiff can be made whole is if he is allowed to earn his maximum income while here in the states."

Michael Finnegan

"His father's child and he has been very instrumental in trying to resolve di problem that does exist out there with him."

Jose Sanchez

"Okay, so he does keep in contact with the family."

Michael Finnegan

"It's his child. That's his child and I think he has been very faithful to his son in terms of trying to communicate with him and trying to resolve whatever matters of obstacles weh face ah no."

In a few days his status in the U.S. will be determined. Whatever name he uses in his career, the rapper has already shined. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

But how hot are Shyne's prospects in the music industry? Take into account that while in prison he had guest appearances on tracks sung by Ashanti, Foxy Brown, Kanye West, Usher and Keisha Cole.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25478


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Shyne Will Have A Home on Goldson Avenue

[Linked Image] The Prime Minister's oldest son, Jamal Shyne Barrow, latterly known as Moses Michael Leviy is still in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at an unspecified holding facility in Western New York state at this hour. As we told you last night, he is being held pending deportation to Belize. Shyne was released from the Clinton Correctional Facility - the largest maximum security prison in New York State - yesterday - but was immediately detained by Immigration and Customs officials. That's because Shyne who migrated to the United States when he was 7 - is a green card holder and standard US policy is that permanent residence holders who have been convicted of a violent crimes are deported to their home countries. But his attorneys are fighting deportation because Shyne's home is in New York and so is his future as a recording artist.

His Uncle Michael Finnegan who is just back from Detroit
Michigan today told us that he has been in constant and close contact with his sister Imion Myvett, who is Shyne's mother. She lives in New Jersey and is waiting for her son to come home to her but Finnegan admits that right now they can only hope that he will get there, if not, he will end up coming to this home in Belize.

Michael Finnegan, Uncle of Shyne Barrow

"He has been released from the prison and he is being attended to or being held by the immigration authorities. The matter will be dealt with by a well known immigration lawyer and he is being supported by Professor Overtree, you know the guy that was connected to Barack Obama campaign, well known professor, and as I understand from them while I was there yesterday, the process would want to appear to be looking kind of positive. But as a family we are not over, we don't want to be too confident because any number can play once you're dealing with court matters.

[Linked Image] Yuh know dah me raise him so if he have to come back home he will come back to Goldson Avenue where he started out from. He is in good spirits."


Jules Vasquez,

"Was he expecting that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement would have intercepted him?"

Michael Finnegan,

"Yes we knew that would happen but he had the differed legal people in play so that when this happened, they can process the necessary documents and so on and carried it from there."

Jules Vasquez,

"Have they indicated if and how soon he will be deported?"

Michael Finnegan,

"But that is what I am saying to you, I don't know if he will be deported. I know there are legal challenges that are being made by his attorneys and I would want to believe that those matters would be able to be resolved next week or the following week. So we'll know shortly."

Jules Vasquez,

"Do you feel sadness knowing that my nephew had to endure all these struggles?"

Michael Finnegan,

"Well yuh know I am a tough man but two times I cried in my adult life; when he was first sentenced to prison and when he was released on the 6th, on Tuesday."

Jules Vasquez,

"You cried on Tuesday why?"

Michael Finnegan,

"Just the emotion and the feeling. Dah part of me that and also his father, he has been very instrumental in trying to resolve his legal problems that he has over there."

Finnegan told us that just as a back up plan - he is preparing living quarters at his home on Goldson Avenue if Shyne is deported. Whatever the case, when he is released Shyne has two multi-million dollar recording contracts pending. Make no mistake, Shyne Barrow is a big star in the recording industry - his eponymous first album sold nearly a million copies. Hi second album, recorded and released while he was incarcerated sold just under half a million copies.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15203


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Shyne Awaiting Deportation

[Linked Image] Jamal Shyne Barrow is awaiting deportation to Belize, but when is it going to happen? That's the question no one seems to have a definite answer to. His uncle Michael Finnegan told us again today that he has not gotten any updates.

But whenever he is deported - and that will be soon - it is expected that Shyne would go through the same procedure that any deportee does. The standard procedure is that deportees arrive in Belize without handcuffs or restraints, are processed by police personnel at the airport and then taken down to the CIU office in the Queen Street police station where they are photographed, and then set free.

In the case of Shyne, that will be the first taste of freedom he will have had in almost 9 years. That it will come on Queen Street and not 5th and Broadway may be a matter of some personal regret but for a man coming off long stint in prison, we suspect it will hardly matter. According to US media sources, after Shyne is deported, he will continue the fight to get a pardon but he'll do so from Belize.

His father, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has written a letter to the Governor of New York David Paterson asking for a pardon that would allow him to resume normal residence in the United States where he grew up along with his mother and grandmother.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15329


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Shyne Returns Home to Belize on Wednesday

[Linked Image] Shyne is coming home on Wednesday. 7News has confirmed that Jamal Shyne Barrow, who now calls himself Moses Michael Levy will be deported from New York and arrive on a Continental Airlines Flight from Houston on Wednesday afternoon. It is expected that he will be greeted at the airport by his Father Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his Uncle, Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

When he arrives, it will be his first breath of freedom in almost 9 years and it will be only the second time since the 31 year old has returned home since he left nearly two decades ago.

His Uncle Finnegan is building an extension on his Goldson Avenue home for him. He told us two weeks ago that he expects Shyne will resume his recording career utilizing his CARICOM Citizenship to gain access to recording studios in the Caribbean.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15352


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Shyne Will Touch Down at 2:40

[Linked Image] Jamal Shyne Barrow is tonight spending his last night in custody as he's headed home tomorrow. Barrow will leave a New York Immigration Detention facility tomorrow morning and board a Continental Airlines flight from Buffalo, New York. He is scheduled to arrive in Belize at 2:40 tomorrow afternoon.

Word is that he is being accompanied by his legal advisor Charles Ogletree. He will be met at the airport by his father, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his Uncle, Housing Minister Michael Finnegan.

Indications are that Barrow will be cleared to go free after he is processed by police at the international airport. We'll have full coverage of course, and you can tune in for that tomorrow.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15370


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Hard deal if he took the fall for Combs. And it may seem unreasonable that he's being sent back to Belize, considering he's been in the US since he was a child . . but let's assume he did the crime and did the time. People have to learn that there can be very long reaching consequences for bad behaviour.

That said, there's more than a few criminals up here that I wish could get sent back home. For Shyne, it's too bad he didn't commit the crime and do the crime in Canada. He'd probably be chillin' in Vancouver or TO by now.


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Shyne freed in Belize; mother and father welcome him at airport

[Linked Image] Shyne Jamal Barrow is back in Belize. He arrived at two-forty this afternoon at the Philip International Airport where he was met by family, fans and the media. The famous rapper began his journey after six this morning when he left the detention center in Buffalo New York in the company of a U.S. Marshall. After stops in Houston he landed as scheduled. News Five Jose Sanchez reports from the P.G.I.A.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

The prodigal son returns. Born Jamal Barrow, commonly known as Shyne, the son of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, inhaled his first breath of freedom after nine years of incarceration for a club shooting in New York. That taste of freedom coincided with his homecoming at the Philip Goldson International Airport this afternoon. More than the usual number of cameramen and photographers were waiting to get a glimpse of him as he exited the Continental flight. Fans were also waiting to see the rapper who changed his name to Moses Michael Leviy.

DJ Busch, Shyne Fan

"To witness Shyne getting his freedom, that's my main thing for being out here."

Jose Sanchez

"As a man who is into music, what does this really mean for you?"

DJ Busch

"Right now everything means to be for Shyne being out of jail is just the freedom. The celebrity status, we know Shyne before he has blown up to be on the TV and everything because he was a youth from King's Park. But now my main thing out here is to just see him out and free. That's all I'm based on right now; to see him out with my two eyes and see that he's free."

Jose Sanchez

"When we're out, should we expect to hear some of Shyne's music in the clubs this weekend?"

DJ Busch

"Well, I've never stopped playing Shyne. From ever since I have not stopped playing Shyne. I bought one of his original albums from Diddy's album and from then I was a fan of Shyne."


Berrisford Frazer, Shyne Fan

"Fi see wah Belizean come home wid stats, wid enough stats and den we want si ah get wah break now and mek wi big ah up fi Belize and den afta dat now we could go from deh and mek wah lee money. Ih good fi di economy anyway."


Robert Vellos, Shyne Fan

"The guy Shyne I knew him from Chicago when I was over there, never paid much attention to him but he's a Belizean and I'm so proud that at least he came back home and we greet him with a lot of dignity and I hope and pray that he can push his career in Belize. I know he will not do as good as he did in the states but he will survive here because people really like him and he'll be doing good here in Belize."


Jose Sanchez

"Do you think this time will allow him and his father to restore the relationship they didn't have for all the years he was out there in the states?"

Robert Vellos

"Well I presume so. I think family closeness means a lot and I guess his father would be glad enough to help him do anything in his life to progress."


Barry Flowers

"Just to support, just to see the guy."


Jose Sanchez

"You listen to his music?"

Barry Flowers

"All the time."


Jose Sanchez

"Which particular song is it that you like?"

Barry Flowers

"Bad Boys."


Jose Sanchez

"Was this the same way your process happened when you returned to Belize?"

Berne Velasquez, Deportee and Shyne Fan

"Nah it wasn't the same process. Shyne is a giant and that man has had some great accomplishments and for him to get the publicity that he has gotten, man it's not no catwalk. He has done what it takes to get it. So you can't expect Shyne to be treated the way that any deportee would be treated."


Jose Sanchez

"As a musician yourself, are you hoping to meet Shyne?"


Berne Velasquez

"Definitely, it will be cool to meet Shyne. I'm sure we'll meet. We didn't get a chance to meet in America but in small Belize hopefully we will."


Shyne emerged from the plane in a Harvard Law School sweat shirt and a pair of headphones around his neck. The rapper sported a full head of parted hair. He was hugged first by his godmother then his manager and others including one of his attorneys, Oscar Michelin, followed by Pulu Lightburn. Emerging to meet him at the stairs of the VIP room was his mother Imeon Myvette. She escorted him inside for the processing of his freedom on Belizean soil. After greeting with his father in the privacy of V.I.P. area, Shyne's uncle, Michael Finnegan, gave the media an update on his status.

Michael Finnegan, Shyne's Uncle

"Shyne is home. He wants to say how happy he is to be home and to be a free man. He would love to have a conversation with the media but because he was legally advised by Professor Ogletree, he must not speak to the media because he doesn't want to prejudice his situation any at all with the US government or with the Belize government. So he asked me to ask you that he don't want to disrespect you the media, but please to understand what is going on. You could see the tears in his eyes as they hugged and the romantic situation in there especially with his Grandmother and with his father, with his younger brother Anwar, they hugged and neva want let go one another."


Jose Sanchez

"Will there be a family dinner tonight with everybody, father included?"

Michael Finnegan

"No, there will be no-we are not a formal kind of people so we will play it by ear. His residence at my place is two weeks away from completion so he has rented a complete floor at Radisson Fort George Hotel. So every room on a floor was taken by him whether ih wah use it or noh use it. He said that after going through the eight and a half years he has gone through, he needs some privacy, he needs noh to deh round nobody, he needs just to sit down in isolation and contemplate his life. And I think that we need to respect that. If you notice, he has lost an extreme amount of weight."


Jose Sanchez

"As uncle what were your first words to him?"

Michael Finnegan

"come yah old bwai. That's all I said to him cause when he was small and di raise ah I used to call ah old fart. So come yah old fart, come yah old bwai. Dat dah di way we greet one another when we talk on di phone. But he's in good spirit, he is in good health but he is a bit frail."

Shyne, in the company of his brother Anwar, left the airport in a red Ford Expedition towards the Youth Hostel on the Western Highway where he gave a pep talk to youths. Like the prodigal son, the former bad boy, returned home to open arms. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25675


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Shyne's first stop in Belize: surprise visit to Youth Hostel

[Linked Image] As soon as Shyne left the P.G.I. A. with his entourage in tow, he made his way to the Youth Hostel at mile twenty-one on the Western Highway. Shyne gave a speech to the youths, but the media was not allowed to record it. Only after the speech was finished, his handlers allowed the cameras to catch him as he posed for pictures with the youths who were quite happy for the celebrity visit. His aunt, Diane Finnegan, said he identified with the youths.

Glenda Martinez, Chief Supervisor, Youth Hostel

"This was very important to us because I want him to share his experience with the youth and children in our care. I want them to recognize that in life, we make mistakes but we use it as a stepping stone to go to another level in life. Shyne is a shining example of that. He shared with us his story, he was in juvenile homes. He made a mistake, he paid the price but now he is willing to share with the youths of the Youth Hostel his experiences and to let them recognize that they can be anything they want to be in life from a janitor to a doctor, a lawyer a teacher."

Diane Finnegan, Shyne's Aunt

"He identifies with these kids and I think the kids saw themselves in him. The message was powerful. Unfortunately, the media was not able to capture all of that but I think this is the stage that has been set for them to have food for thought in order to start a new life and to make some positive changes in their lives."

Justice Emanuel, Resident of Youth Hostel

"It was a really good experience because knowing somebody who came from down to bits and actually rose up to become somebody that he is today. It shows me more to make good decisions in what I do before I go to jail and it keeps me to fight for my goals and try harder and try to achieve my objectives."

Winston Ramclam, Resident of Youth Hostel

"It means a lot to me because he shared nearly his whole fault that he was behind jail. He told everything that he was doing in jail and yeah like ih really hurt my heart to see a Belizean spend time at jail at the US and then dehn come back and dehn look different and everything so ih really give me a heartbreaker."

Glenda Martinez
"In life you can do anything you want as long as you believe in yourself. And we want to take this opportunity to welcome Shyne."

As we reported earlier, Shyne has rented a floor at the Radisson where he will stay until construction is complete at Finnegan's house. According to Finnegan, Shyne is paying for the addition to the house, where he will reside while in Belize.

http://www.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=25676


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PM Barrow Comments on Return of Son, Shyne

[Linked Image] And while he spoke about many matters of state - which we'll get to - the Prime Minister also responded to a question about the deportation of his son Jamal Shyne Barrow, now known as Moses Michael Leviy. In the past, Shyne has stridently criticized his father in his music. But that was years ago; since then the, elder Barrow has been instrumental in trying to get him a pardon in the state of New York while arranging for and facilitating his return. They seem to have patched things up, and today the Prime Minister spoke well of the return of his eldest child.

Hon. Dean Barrow,

"When I saw him yesterday I really was stunned. You don't go to jail for that period of time without it obviously exacting a huge toll on you but I really was shocked to see what it had physically done to him and clearly it will take some time for him to be able to recover from that experience. Not having gone through it myself, I don't know whether anyone is ever able to recover. But it was wonderful to see that he is free at last and good to have him in Belize. Although he appeared physically frail, it was obvious that he is mentally as strong as ever and certainly kept talking to me about what his presence here at home could mean for this country, what opportunities he could cause us to be able to, he could create for us."

We'll have more on Shyne this weekend after his legal advisor Professor Charles Ogletree arrives.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=15388


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