STEALIN’ DRUGS
DEALIN’ THUGS

Reggie Lilburn Wright Jr. was born on August 5, 1966. He worked at the Big D Ranch Market during his time attending Lynwood High School. He received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Black Studies from Cal State Long Beach in 1989. In 1985 he became a jailer for the City of Compton and later became a Community Service Officer. In 1989 he became a police recruit becoming a Compton Police Officer in 1990. In December of 1993 he was in a car accident injuring his ankle while off duty. In 1995 he was hand picked by Police Chief Hourie Taylor to work the Street Crime Suppression Unit. Wright was in another accident in April of ’95 where he reinjured his ankle. The department, for failing to look both ways in the accident, reprimanded him. In May of 1995 he formed Wrightway Protective Services. On January 8, 1996 he left the Compton Police Department on Medical retirement with a pension paid for by the City of Compton. In October of 1994 he began moonlighting for Death Row Records.

While working for Death Row Records he officially employed the following police officers through Wrightway: James Green, Fred Reynolds, Lindell Johnson, Rodrick Pettis, Gil Cross, Kevin Hackie, Danny Sneed, among others.

Reggie went everywhere with Suge. He never let Suge out of his sight – a fact that bodyguards commented on when he invented a reason on the night of Tupac and Suge’s shooting to go to Club 662 instead of traveling with Suge.^[1]Texas Governor, Ann Richards said, "your enemies can’t hurt you, but your friends can kill you.”

"He told me that Sharitha Knight and Reggie Wright were behind the murder.”^[2] "Mr. Writh Jr. gave Info where 2 pac was going to be.”^[3] "He says it was Wright who – on the night of Tupac's murder – told the killers where Tupac would be, along with Suge.”^[4] Michael Moore tells of hearing "Got ‘em” come over Reggie Wright’s radio while he was standing next to him at Club 662.^[5]Reggie Wright was responsible for disarming all of the security on the night Tupac was shot.^[6]"It was all Reggie’s fault. It wasn’t even something where you could debate it. Every decision came from Reggie’s mouth.”^[7]Reggie Wright Jr. is seen in the MGM surveillance video walking with a woman, possibly Sharitha Knight and then shaking hands with Orlando Anderson and leading him away.^[8]

"Mr. Hackie will detail the role of Reggie Wright Jr., Wrightway Security, and off-duty law enforcement personnel as it relates to the operations of Death Row Records, the murder of Tupac Shakur, and the murder of Christopher Wallace. He is willing to meet with Reggie Wright Jr. and to discuss with him the above referenced matters. He is willing to wear a wire while doing do. It is Mr. Hackie’s strong belief that Reggie Wright Jr. has sufficient information to procure indictments against Death Row Records personnel, and that he could be instrumental in obtaining information.

"Mr. Hackie is willing to testify under oath, with polygraph verification, that a representative of Death Row Records offered a police officer $25,000.00 to murder Christopher Wallace. Mr. Hackie will identify how he came to be in possession of this information and the persons involved.

"Mr Hackie is willing to testify under oath, with polygraph verification, on information in his possession regarding a compact .40 cal Glock that was used to kill Tupac Shakur and law enforcement knowledge of that firearm.”^[9]

Reggie Wright Jr. allegedly attended the gang summit and paid the $100,000 bounty to Danny Patton. Reggie was responsible for disarming all of Tupac's bodyguards that night. He also attended every single meeting between witnesses and the Las Vegas Police. Reggie Wright Jr. worked previously for the Compton Jail and then the Compton Police. His father, Reggie Wright Sr. was in charge of the gang unit inside of Compton Police and was absorbed by the Sheriff's Department when it was learned that corruption existed within Compton PD. LAPD's Detective Fred Miller stated that Reggie Wright Jr. was known to control the drug trade in Compton. Reggie was also known to rob drug dealers of their drugs and money instead of busting them. He left the Compton Police on a worker's comp claim. Kevin Hackie claims he handed the weapon used in the Tupac killing to Reggie Wright two weeks before the killing. Hackie claims that the weapon had been ballistics tested a month before the killing and that ballistics test matched the ballistics of the Tupac Shakur murder. Reggie was at Club 662 at the time of the shooting. Michael Moore, a Tupac bodyguard, was next to Reggie Wright when the shooting happened and heard "Got 'em" coming over Reggie Wright's radio. He then heard someone he describes as "white" say, "don't say nothin' over the radio." "Got 'em" probably referred to Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur at the time of the shooting because with 13 bullets launched they really thought they "Got 'em." We have a tape of one of the security guards that worked for Reggie Wright Jr. stating that he had turned to the dark side and had the red carpet installed in his office indicating that he had accepted membership into the Bloods gang. The confession letter places Reggie Wright at the gang summit asking directly for permission to kill both Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight. The confession letter was given to LAPD and instead of being investigated it was leaked by a cop with direct ties back to Reggie Wright Jr.

"In an article published in Vibe Magazine, Wrightway Security head Reggie Wright, a former Compton cop and a longtime friend of Knight who often provided security for Knight, pointed the finger at the Compton Crips, claiming Comb’s gang connections got Wallace killed. Knight reportedly told police as well as a few reporters, that Crips were responsible for both deaths, most notably Shakur’s, something many found suspicious, given that gang members never ratted each other out, even if they were members of opposite gangs.”^[10]

"Reggie and Suge are close, grew up together, they are like brothers. They are tighter than you think. Everything Suge does Reggie knows. One thing Suge does, is trust Reggie. I’m’a tell you, Reggie fucked that whole shooting deal up. All that shit was Reggie’s fault. Reggie is the one that wasn’t with Suge. I was at the hospital when Suge called Reggie in there. One thing Suge didn’t do is he didn’t blame any of it for Reggie and trust me it was all Reggie’s fault. It wasn’t even something where you could debate it. Every decision came from Reggie’s mouth.”^[11]

Suge’s biggest blind spot came from the man he called his Blood brother – the man he entrusted his personal security to – the man he entrusted all of the security of his bread winners – the thief. "Reggie always had the reputation of shaking up the drug dealers, stealing their money, and taking off.^[12]"Reggie was a jailer for the city. Reggie got caught stealing prisoners money.”^[13]Reggie’s law enforcement career had just ended: "He (Reggie Wright Jr.) bought a Corvette, a blue one in ’94, off Warren and 22nd he put it into a post one night off-duty and basically that is how his leg got messed up. That is where the medical retirement started.”^[14]"I’m surprised Reggie’s not in prison. I know he used to hold money, I know he used to handle shit.”^[15]

An unmemorable high school life followed by an even more forgettable college and then petty theft of criminals in jail followed by a failure as a cop that led to a disability claim that was sketchy at best. Suge Knight plucked Reggie Wright Jr. from his life of obscurity and put him into a position of power and prestige but Reggie didn’t see it that way. He was only "the help” – a lackey rubbing elbows with celebrities but not one of them. That only heightened something that had been festering for years.

Reggie’s envy of Suge started as a child. Imagine what it was like growing up in Compton as the son of a cop in the world where gangs were so prevalent. Reggie Sr. must have cut some deal with the OG’s that his son was off limits. That doesn’t mean they associated with him. Suge earned his "free pass” through his athleticism. He was a football star that cast a big shadow and Reggie was squarely in that shadow even back then. Now Suge cast a great big shadow and nobody even knew Reggie’s name. All that he was doing for Death Row and there was never any recognition. Deep-rooted jealousy stemming from high school had grown to a fever pitch and Suge was tone deaf to that note. He couldn’t see that Reggie was behind the Tupac murder and attempted murder of Suge. He couldn’t see that Reggie orchestrated the probation violation and entry of evidence through Compton Police that would send Suge away.

As the head of Death Row Records Security, Reggie Wright Jr. wasn’t simply effective he was lethal. His degree in Justice Administration, relationships with criminals from his years as a jailer, relationships to the gangs through his father heading up the gang unit in Compton, and relationships with law enforcement as paymaster and scheduler of an enormous budget in handing out "off-duty” assignments, gave him the power to plan crimes that embedded compromised investigations into the fabric of any potential inquiries. Add to that the Criminal Defense mind of David Kenner and you get various law enforcement agencies spending tens of millions of dollars investigating Death Row Records crimes with virtually no indictments, arrests, trials, or convictions.

The signs of Reggie’s transformation were there for all to see. Death Row Dave said he was "surprised Reggie and his dad were not in prison.”^[16]Kevin Hackie confronted Reggie and said, "y’all acting like a couple of gangsters.”^[17]Reggie confided in Michael Moore that he had "ordered the red carpet. I tried to fly right.”^[18]According to the Biggie Smalls Civil Trial Reggie Wright is a suspect in the murder of Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious BIG.

"The only people I lie to are the police."[19] Reggie lies to Suge and tells him that Frank is no longer working for Wrightway while Frank is working for a church in Inglewood.^[20]Where Suge told Reggie everything, Reggie could not fly straight with Suge. He instructed many to outright lie to Suge. When it came to Reggie, Suge Knight was blind. He was unaware of all that was going on around him. "Yeah Frank, (shaking his head) Frank didn’t help us, Frank didn’t help us,” said Norris Anderson.^[21]This was another lie entered into the record through the Compton Police. "The people at DRR want you dead (about Frank Alexander).”^[22]"That is the word. They want to finish you off. If Suge don’t get out you are going to be in deep trouble. They are holding you accountable.”

I told reggie about two or three months before the shooting, I said to him I said, Reggie, what is going on? I said, you know, you two are acting like some goddamn gang member, you know. So I said to him, you know, what is going on? You know, Suge just got me doing all of these things. Never would say what Suge had him doing.”^[23]

If Sharitha was Suge’s Rock, Reggie Wright was Suge Knight’s confidant – his enforcer. Death Row Dave says, "Reggie Wright (Jr.) was the go-between between Suge Knight and all kinds of crazy shit.” At the intersection of music, jealousy, gangs, drugs, guns, parties, and cops there was lots of crazy shit for a man of Reggie’s particular skill set to go-between and with ties to Rampart scandal cops Kevin Gaines, Rafael Perez, and David Mack there were no limitations on what "crazy shit” they would do.