THERE is still uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of Reggae artiste Buju Banton.
The artiste – who is registered under his real name of Mark Anthony Myrie and whose inmate number is 86700-004 – is supposed to be housed at a holding facility in Oklahoma but the Federal Bureau of Prisons although acknowledging that he is their custody, has his status listed as in transit on its website www.bop.gov.
A source close to the artiste said he has been in contact with Banton via telephone and that the artiste is due to be transported to a medium security facility in Texas and not Mississippi as was previously announced.
“He is going to be taken to a prison in Texas as a co-defendant is already being housed at the prison in Mississippi,” the source said.
There are no maximum security prisons in the state of Texas.
David Markus, the attorney who represented Banton in both his trials for drug-related charges, indicated that he intends to appeal the artiste’s 10-year sentence in November.
“We are still waiting on the transcripts from the trial, so the appeal has not been filed yet. It will most likely be filed around Thanksgiving,” Markus said. The appeal is set to be filed before an Apellate Court in the state of Georgia.
Markus told the Observer that despite Myrie’s trouble’s he remains in high spirits and is optimistic that he will file a successful appeal.
“Buju would like his friends, family, and fans to know that he is hanging in there and waiting to be transferred. We are still fighting on appeal and are hoping for better days ahead,” Markus said.