Canada

New website touts the criminal life

Melvin hired a publicist and set up a site to celebrate his lifestyle

New website touts the criminal lifeSince he got out of jail last November, convicted drug dealer Jimmy Melvin Jr., 27, a member of a notorious Halifax crime family, has been the centre of attention. His release reawakened a long-standing feud with a rival clan—an apparent turf war that has spanned decades. In the past five months, he has survived two attempts on his life, shootings that landed him in hospital and on the front page. Now, amid the publicity, he has launched his own website, aptly named RealLiveStreetShit.com.

Famous for all the wrong reasons, Melvin Jr. is the son of purported clan patriarch Jimmy Melvin Sr., also a convicted drug trafficker. Since the ’80s, the Melvins are thought to have periodically done battle with the Marriotts, another known crime family. The recent spate of violence began just days after Melvin Jr.’s release, when his father and a Melvin associate were shot. (Both survived.) The next month, Melvin Jr. took two bullets. In February, Terry Marriott Jr., the son of alleged rival leader Terry Marriott Sr., was killed. Melvin Jr. was shot again in April, and on May 23, bullets hit his father’s home.

Charges have not been laid in the Marriott killing, and police are investigating the other attacks as isolated incidents. But Const. Brian Palmeter says the shootings “could be tied” to the “well-known feud.”

The resulting public interest has not been lost on Melvin Jr., who is still facing charges relating to a prison arson incident. His site features media reports detailing his brushes with the law, and a highlight reel set to rap music. In one video, he shows off his wounds, flashes cash and gloats, “Who wants to get rich or die? I know I ain’t dying, and I’m rich.” Melvin Jr. did not respond to questions, but in an email, his publicist (yes, he has one) told Maclean’s that within days of the initial launch, the site was revamped—once “we realized the potential of our idea.”

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