Popular Rapper Mystikal, 2 Others Charged in Rape

BATON ROUGE, La. —  Top-selling rapper Mystikal and two other men were jailed Thursday on charges they raped an acquaintance at his house.

Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, surrendered to authorities early Thursday and was booked on an aggravated rape charge, police said.

Leland Ellis, 36, and Vercy Carter, 34, of Baton Rouge, turned themselves in and were booked later Thursday, police said.

Tyler was released Thursday afternoon on $250,000 bond. Bond had not been set Thursday evening for either Ellis or Carter.

All three were also charged with extortion. Authorities say they threatened to tell police that the woman had received checks from the rapper’s account without his permission. The extortion charge accuses Tyler of demanding sex in exchange for his agreement not to turn the woman in to police.

If convicted of the aggravated rape charge, Tyler would face a mandatory life sentence. The penalty for extortion carries a prison term of one to 15 years.

Tyler’s attorneys did not return calls seeking comment, nor did his record company, Jive.

His hits include “Danger (Been So Long)” and the Grammy-nominated “Shake Ya ...” The gruff-sounding rapper’s latest disc, “Tarantula,” has gone gold.

Tyler is accused of attacking the 40-year-old woman after she showed up at his house about 8 p.m. on July 3.

Tyler allegedly called two men over to his house, and when they showed up, according to police, he raped the woman in front of them, then each of the others raped her, police said.