NYC’s socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani hires former ARMED ROBBER to help lead his new ‘public safety’ team

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has hired a former armed robber to help lead his new public safety and criminal justice team.

The socialist lawmaker, 34, has tapped former rapper Mysonne Linen to serve on his transition team, the Until Freedom social justice organization has announced.

Linen, 49, was a rising star in the late 1990s and had secured a lucrative recording contract with Def Jam records.

He was set to appear on an album alongside LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip when a jury convicted him in 1999 of robbing two taxi cab drivers in the Bronx.

He served seven years in prison for the crimes, despite having maintained at the time that he was falsely accused.

The Bronx native has since rebranded as a community activist and frequently promotes anti-violence initiatives and civic engagement online.

Until Freedom applauded Linen’s appointment, alleging it is a testament to the organization’s ‘expertise in gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy, and criminal justice reform.’

Linen’s hiring is just the latest in controversial appointments by Mamdani, who recently added an anti-cop advocate and a far-left activist who has called to defund the police and vehemently supported a notorious antisemite to his team.

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani selected former rapper and convicted robber Mysonne Linen (pictured in 2023) to serve on his transition team

Linen’s hiring is just the latest in controversial appointments by Zohran Mamdani, (pictured last week) who recently added an anti-cop advocate and a far-left activist who has called to defund the police and vehemently supported a notorious antisemite to his team

‘We are proud that Until Freedom leaders have been chosen to serve on Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team on committees for public safety and criminal justice respectively,’ the organization wrote in its announcement.

‘This is a testament to our decades of work advocating on behalf of black and brown communities and our expertise in gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy and criminal justice reform. We are building something different.’

The announcement suggests that Linen and Angelo Pinto, a human rights lawyer, will predominately serve on Mamdani’s committee on the criminal legal system.

Tamika Mallory was selected for the committee on community safety. The activist, who a few years ago said, ‘one day we can abolish police.’

She has faced controversy for repeatedly lauding Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, a movement that combines elements of Islam with black nationalism.

Linen has not yet released a public statement on his new role, but has re-shared posts on his Instagram stories congratulating him for the achievement.

The rapper-turned-activist was convicted in 1999, then just 23 years old, of two armed robberies.

Prosecutors said he was part of a group that robbed cab driver Joseph Exiri in 1997 and struck him on the head with a beer bottle, the New York Daily News reported at the time.

The same group then held Francisco Monsanto, also a taxi driver, up at gunpoint in 1998. They stole cash and a ring before fleeing the scene.

The Until Freedom social justice organization has applauded Linen’s appointment, alleging it is a testament to the organization’s ‘expertise in gun violence prevention, legislative advocacy, and criminal justice reform.’ Three United Freedom leaders – including Linen – will serve on Mamdani’s transition team

A jury convicted Linen (pictured) in 1999 of robbing two taxi cab drivers in the Bronx. He served seven years in prison for the crimes. He has since rebranded as a community activist and frequently promotes anti-violence initiatives and civic engagement online

Exiri and Monsanto both testified in the trial and identified Linen as one of the robbers.

Linen’s defense, however, insisted the rapper had no incentive to commit the crimes, pointing to his financial success from writing for artists such as Lil’ Kim and Mase.

He told his family ‘I love you. Be strong,’ as the jury’s guilty verdict was read out to the court and he was dragged away in handcuffs.

Mamdani’s appointment of Linen has been met with heavy criticism online.

The group Jews Fight Back called the mayor-elect ‘insane’ for hiring a ‘convicted armed robber to help shape NYC’s crime and policing policy.’

‘Apparently, the more outrageous, the better,’ one X user said Linen’s hiring. ‘Vile.’

‘Mamdani didn’t just hire a thug—he installed a Farrakhan fanboy who beat cabbies and denies his crimes to reshape “justice,” one wrote.

‘This is who Mamdani is: a mayor who elevates armed robbers over victims, antisemites over cops, and ideology over safety.’

‘Mamdani really is the Joker. And he’s taking over Gotham,’ another tweeted.

‘What could possibly go wrong?’ one questioned sarcastically.

Tamika Mallory, a far-left activist who has called to defund the police and vehemently supported a notorious antisemite, was placed on NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral transition committee

New York City ‘s incoming socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed anti-police advocate Alex Vitale to join his transition team

Another user highlighted the apparent pattern in Mamdani’s hiring, noting how Linen is just the latest in a slew of controversial selections.

‘Mamdani is putting together the worst administration in the history of politics,’ the user argued.

The mayor-elect also recently came under fire for his appointment of sociologist Alex Vitale, author of ‘The End of Policing’, a 2017 book that argued for the abolition of almost all police activity in the US.

Vitale was among 26 advocates tapped to join Mamdani’s Committee on Community Safety, and on X the author said the news marked ‘A New Era for NYC.’

His appointment sparked backlash after Vitale shared the news to social media, with many fearing a reduction in policing in New York City could have catastrophic effects for the city of over eight million people.

Mamdani had attempted to distance himself from his own past anti-police rhetoric during the campaign, and his independent rival Jim Walden wrote on X after Vitale’s appointment: ‘Just when a glimmer of centrist hope started to flicker, THIS.’