The owner of a Mastic smoke shop has been indicted on new charges of murder Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Rodney Morrison used violence and intimidation to build a $56 million empire with the Peace Pipe Smoke Shop on the Poospatuck Indian Reservation. Morrison has been held without bail since 2004 after being indicted on racketeering charges. The new indictment adds charges of murder, assault, abduction, robbery, extortion and tax evasion. Prosecutors say Morrison funded the assassination of a competitor.
Morrison?s attorneys and family say the charges are simply not true and prosecutors are trying to make an example of him. They are asking that all charges be dropped, since Morrison has been held for almost two years without a trial date or bail.