Rapper Afroman testifies in Ohio trial in Adams County

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Have a seat. I'm going to read the last part of the book. I'm going to read the last part of the book.

I'm going to read the last part of the book.

I'm going to read the be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth as this you shall answer on the gun yes thank you sir thank you your honor for the record would you give us your name please my name is Joseph Edgar Foreman you are known under the stage name as Afro Man, is that correct? Yes sir. And you create music videos and do performances, is that right?

Yes sir.

How many states of the United States have you performed in, do you think?

All of them.

All 50?

Yes sir. And how many countries have you performed in? I don't remember but not all of them but I've been to a few. How many live performances did you do last year, roughly? I don't know. Possibly 250, I don't know, but I don't know. That's a lot of days, but I don't know exactly.

And you have a residence here in Adams County, correct? Yes, sir. You've been performing for 20 or 30 years, is that right?

All my life.

All right.

And is it fair to say that one of the first big hits you had was, But Then I Got High?

Because I Got High.

Because I got high. Because I got high. Because I got high. And do you think it's accurate to say that that song has had over 300 million views on YouTube?

Sounds right.

You have a large presence on social media, obviously,

correct?

Depends on your definition at large. There's bigger people than me, but I'm alright.

And on Instagram, is it fair to say that you have 247,000 followers?

Yeah, I just got some of them the other day.

You got new ones coming all the time

Yes, not all the time just here lately

Because the trials coming up

Yeah, all the publicity from the officers lawsuit me is running up my numbers. Yeah. Yeah and

On YouTube you have almost a million followers

983,000 is that right? I haven't looked it was 977 last time I looked

And on tick-tock you have about 392 thousand followers

I haven't looked at him, but that sounds kind of right

You know when you post something that a lot of people are going to see it, don't you?

Yes.

When this search happened back in August of 2022, Mr. Foreman, you weren't at home?

No.

You were driving home from Chicago? Yes. And you got an alert from a family member that the sheriffs were there searching your home, is that right? Yes. And you were able to turn on your phone and and watch through your home security system what the deputies were doing for a period of time, weren't you? Yes. And is it fair to say you were angry and upset about this search?

I wasn't happy?

No, I posted it because the sheriff's never supposed to raid in my house in the first place. The whole raid was a mistake. All of this is their fault. If they hadn't wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit. I would not know their names.

They wouldn't be on my body. They wouldn't be on my home surveillance system. And there would be no songs, nothing. My money would still be intact, nothing. So all of this is their fault.

And because they executed a search warrant on your home, that gave you the right to post the things that we've seen this week on the Internet? Because they... Is that right? Is that right, Mr. Foreman?

Yes. Yes. For tearing down my door, not paying for it, not being apologetic, me being a sport, doing something peaceful to raise the money to pay for their damages, me having the right of the freedom of speech as an American to talk to my family, friends and fans about what the sheriffs did to my home.

Yes, I had the right to my freedom of speech. After they left, I had the right to kick the can and to do what I had to do to repair the damage they brought to my house

Yes, I did that includes the right to post the videos that you've just been posting up until Friday and beyond right?

Yes, I have freedom of speech I'm a rapper I entertain I write fiction comedy I Yes, I mean I entertain for a living like you practice law for a living. So I have to go to work.

The deputies left a warrant return at your house, didn't they? I think they left something with my ex-wife. I'm not sure. Well, you've seen, you saw, as soon as the search was over, as soon as you got home,

you saw a document that showed exactly how much cash had been taken from the house, correct? I know I got paid $5,000 for the show that suit was in. I forgot that that money was in that suit. But I heard, I don't know what piece of paper I heard. I knew they took some money. I just knew they took some money. I knew it was $4,000-ish.

I knew they took some money, and they seized some money, and some weed, and some I don't know what else.

You knew how much money was in that pocket when you came home and saw the warrant returned, didn't you?

It was $5,000. Back when I did that show, I remember it was $5,000.

So is it your testimony that they actually took $5,000 instead of $4,390?

No, I just know when I did that show, it was with Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa at Red Rocks in Denver. The balance of that show for me, they sent in a deposit, but the balance was $5,000. I put the $5,000 in my coat pocket. I got drunk, I got high, and I forgot to get that money and I hung that suit back up. And that's where they got that money from.

So it was $5,000 they got.

Yes. It was $5,000 that was in my suit when I got paid in Red Rocks. Now, after all of this stuff, you know, whatever, I don't really know the complete number. It's 46, it's 430, the number bounces up and down. But all I know is I got paid $5,000 at the Red Rocks with Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa

when I played the Red Rocks in Denver.

And you got $4,000 returned, right?

I don't know the exact amount.

Well, you were there with the news when you got it.

You were at the- Right. And the lady at the share station admitted that the shares were short. You can go watch the 19 News.

You knew when you saw the warrant return, didn't you? That the amount that they were saying was taken was actually more money than was in that suit pocket.

I didn't warrant.

That's why you brought the news to the sheriff's to the evidence to the sheriff's office when you got the money back, because you knew that they had miscounted the money and the number on the evidence bag was actually more money.

I didn't know nothing. The lady at the sheriff's department just volunteered the information. I was sitting there, you know, if she had been, I might not have even known I got ripped off. She admitted it live on Channel 19 News that the money wasn't right.

You remember in your deposition when I asked you why did you bring the news when you picked up the money wasn't right. You remember in your deposition when I asked you why did you bring the news when you picked up the money?

Yeah, I didn't want to get beat up or Epstein at the sheriff's station after I seen them running around my house with AR-15s. So that's why I brought the news and my attorney. So to make sure I got out of that place with my money.

You brought the news to protect you physically. Yeah. You didn't bring the news because you already knew there was a miscount and you were going to make hay out of it.

I didn't know nothing about the miscount. I figured they stole my money. They turned my cameras off. So if you turn my cameras off, you must have got something bad in mind. So I'm accusing them of that. They turned my cameras off. I can't see what they're doing.

So your testimony under oath here today to these ten jurors is that you brought the news when you picked up your money to protect you physically from being beat up or shot by

the sheriff's right? Yes. And they volunteered the information that they that the money wasn't right. That's just an extra something we found out but I came with my attorney and the news to make sure the people running around my house with guns didn't take me into jail and do something.

You had a safe in your home, correct?

Two of them.

Two safes. Did the sheriffs look into those safes to your knowledge?

Yes, they did.

The deputies?

Yes. And how did they get the combination?

I gave it to my ex-wife so the sheriffs wouldn't pull my safe off the floor, take it to the station and put something in it and try to say that whatever they put in my safe was mine. So I went ahead and gave my ex-wife, who I didn't want to give mine a combination to, it was just safer. I went ahead and gave her my combination so they could open up the safe

and realize that they just vandalized somebody that don't even have nothing in the safe.

And do you know what was in those safes?

It was absolutely nothing in the safes.

Don't you keep jewelry in those safes? No. Can you tell me that in your deposition that you keep jewelry in those safes? I do. Was anything missing from the safes when you got home after the search? I didn't put nothing in the safes. Was anything missing from the safes when you got home? Nothing was in them, so nothing was missing from the safe. You talked to Randy Walters on the phone before you got home that evening during the search or right afterwards, didn't you? Yes, sir. He told you that they were taking some money and some vape pens and a small amount of marijuana?

He told you that?

Yes, sir.

You knew didn't you Mr Foreman that there had been an investigation by the Claremont County Sheriff's Office into the discrepancy about the cash that was missing from your home, correct? You knew there was an investigation?

Yeah, I knew the Sheriff's was investigating themselves.

Oh, that's how you saw it? Yes, sir. Okay. And did you ever ask for a report so you could see how bad this investigation of themselves really was?

Yes, I was tr get involved any way I ca was going on without any

Did you ask for a copy of

for everything. I was try it. So you've seen the re Okay. I just saw a few mi

had an attorney when you got the cash returned, correct?

At the station?

Yes.

I had an attorney, yeah, my attorney was present.

Did your attorney ask for a copy of this report?

It wasn't, when I got my cash back from the station, it wasn't an investigation until we realized money was missing.

Well, did you contact your attorney and say, hey, get me a copy of that report?

Your Honor, I'm going to object. While Mr. Klingler wants to talk about his client's attorney-client privilege in any way, Mr. Foreman does have attorney-client privilege with his attorney at that time.

And we are going to assert that privilege because it's a privilege he has a right.

And so far he hasn't asked for any privilege. So I appreciate the sensitivity, overrule the objection.

Thank you. Go ahead.

Thank you, Judge. Your testimony is you never saw a copy of Detective Robinson's report until today.

Yes, sir.

And that's because you didn't want to see a copy of the investigation?

I did want to see it. You don't know what I want. I did want to see it. You did. I wanted everything that had something to do with my money coming out.

And that was three and a half years ago. Correct? And you haven't seen a copy of that report that you wanted to see until this afternoon.

Is that right? That's right. I never had my money taken by cops. I didn't know how this go. I don't know about reports. All I know is a live on Fox 19 Fox 19 news. The lady admits that her department is short $400 of my money.

That's all I know. I don't know how to investigate police officers taking money.

That's all you know, and that's all you know today, isn't it? That's the whole basis of your claim that your money was stolen, is that the amount of money that was in the bags is different from the amount of money that was written on the bag.

Yeah, my whole thing is they never should have raided me in the first place.

That's your whole thing. That's my whole thing.

That's the point, isn't it? That's my whole thing. If they never would have showed up, there would be no songs about them, I wouldn't know who they are, their faces would not be on my video cameras didn't press no charges, didn't even know what they was doing. This whole thing is their fault and they're suing me for their mistake.

And so you don't really care if they stole your money or not, you're just mad about what

they did. I do care about if they stole my money. Police officers shouldn't be stealing the civilians' money. So I do care. All of it is an outrage.

This whole thing is an outrage. This whole thing is an outrage. You have no evidence that they took your money except for the amount on the bag isn't the same as the amount on the picture.

How about the lady admitting that she took my money? She admitted that she took my money on live Fox 19 news. Go argue with the film clip. Go argue with her admitting that she took my money.

Nobody admitted that they took your money.

Well, whatever. Go look at her admitting that the bag is short. Mr. Foreman. Because it stayed open all weekend long or two weeks after Brian and Officer Cooley just left it and just mishandled it and didn't do right.

Just so we're honest with the jury here, Mr. Foreman, nobody admitted that they took your money, did they?

They admitted it was short.

Yes.

So it looked like somebody took- Nobody admitted that they took your money. Correct?

It was short. She admitted, she said that it was short. And usually it's $10, $ 5, $2 missing. How does $400 even come up missing?

Odd.

You posted videos about Brian Newland doing hard drugs and snitching on his friend, and you posted those based on rumors didn't you? We can look at your deposition but before you argue with me but isn't that a fact that you made those allegations based on rumors you

said you heard? It's a fact William Newland is a convicted pedophile and Brian Newland is his brother. After I zeroed in on Brian, I asked about him. Come to find out he's a large statutory rapist that has sex with all kind of underage girls. He buys them beers and gets them drunk and all kind of.

That's probably the reason he had to leave the Adams County Sheriff Department, because he beats up his wife, and he messed with underage girls and he had to get out of town and go get a job in Northwood.

Alright, you don't want to answer my question.

I do, please ask another one.

Well let me ask this one again so I can get an answer. Do you remember in your deposition when I asked you, you have no reason to think these rumors about Brian Newland are true, do you? And you said, well, it's more entertaining if it's true. And I can make some money. Remember that?

No, I don't. That's a three of whatever, however long that deposition was. You can read the deposition and it tells you what I said.

Do we have a copy, another copy of that? Because I'll show it to you and I can show you my copy. Refresh your recollection. Refresh your recollection. It's a... Thank you, Judge. If I can get it working here.

Your Honor, I object to using the screen to refresh his recollection. That's publishing it to the jury. If he wants to refresh his recollection, he can show him it and then ask him a question, much how we would do in criminal law with a police report. If an officer didn't remember, we wouldn't show the report, we would show it to the officer. He would refresh his memory by reading it, and then we'd re-ask the question.

Do it that way, just make sure you through the verbiage. Just make sure you think he reads it right, otherwise I have to wrestle with you about whether he read it right.

Sure.

So just read it. And then if we want to move it as an exhibit, you can do that. Remember your deposition being taken, Mr Foreman in your attorney's office on September 3rd, 2024. I remember the deposition and that deposition was taken in DJ Osborne's office? Yes, sir. That's the same office that you used to film that video that we saw last night with the actor playing Lieutenant Lisa Phillips, and he was, that actor was sitting in the same chair that Lisa Phillips sat in during her deposition,

wasn't she? Yeah, the actor played, played Lisa. Because like, I wouldn't have known her if she had a cane in my house and cut off my camera. Yeah, right. Right. That's

the office we're talking about. And that's the office where I took your deposition, right? Yes, sir. And in that deposition, I'm referring to page 84 of the deposition. I had asked you about- Object, he's testifying.

No, he's using the deposition to refresh his memory. He's doing it right, so sit down, please.

Did I ask you this question and did you give me these answers, Mr. Foreman? Question, would it be fair to say these are rumors? Answer. You know Stephanie said it and you know some other people that don't remember you know I'd be in a hurry in Walmart or something they shake my hand yeah Brian used to do this used to do that then something I didn't know him but this is what I've heard. Question. You

don't have any particular reason to think that it's true or not true, right? Answer. Well, it's more entertaining if it is true and I could probably make some money and capitalize on it if it's true.

What are the lines?

Starting with line 7 and ending with line 21.

Alright.

Did I ask you those questions and you give me those answers?

I don't remember. That was a long time ago.

But that's my question. Thank you.

I've always put Brian Newland next to his brother. So that's my basis and I've always put Brian Newland next to his brother. So that's my basis.

We noticed that. And your attorney is going to be able to ask you whatever questions he wants. Right now I'd like you to focus on my questions, Mr. Foreman. You have no evidence that Brian Newland ever molested little boys, do you?

If you look at the picture, he's holding the little boy's butt, it's too much for me. So, if you use your eyeballs, and then his brother's a convicted pedophile.

That's your evidence for posting that well pedophile stuff

I'm trying to figure out what kind of guy is kicking on my door

What kind of guy is walking around my house reading my bank statements? It's a it's a dude. It's a dude. That's possibly a pedophile got a convicted pedophile brother Deputized by the sheriff walking around possibly stealing my money. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on as I zoom in with my cameras

That's not the type of guy. I don't think should be on the police force. I'm gonna refer you again to your deposition. If you don't trust my reading of it, I'm happy to give it to you, Mr Foreman. But on page 98 of your deposition on that same day, beginning at 9-11, did I ask you this question and did you give me this answer? And again, the only evidence, you don't have any evidence that Brian Newland is a pedophile or plays with little boys? Answer, no sir. Did I ask you that question? Did you give me that answer? I don't remember.

Beginning with line 11, ending with line 14 on page 98. You have no evidence that Lisa Phillips stole your money, do you?

I know if she hadn't raided my house we wouldn't be having this conversation. Nor a lawsuit or nothing.

They never should have been at my house. Since you're not going to answer my question, I'm going to go back to your deposition again, Mr. Foreman. Page 102.

Your Honor, if I may, can I just enter a continuing objection so I don't have to object every

time he does the deposition?

No, it's too important, so please be specific. Thank you.

So I would enter a notation of objection at this point. He is now testifying for witness. He is no longer refreshing his recollection. I'll be sensitive left so you can rephrase those statement.

You made the conclusion memory, so you gotta go back and fix that. All right,

Judge, I will. Thank you. Do you remember telling me in your deposition, Mr Foreman, that you don't have any evidence that Lisa Phillips stole your money?

Yeah, I, you know, she cut off the cameras, but I, you know, I didn't know who took them. I didn't know who took them. So, as far as I, all the officers was a suspect in the first, at first, because I didn't know what after the deposition I realized that Brian Newman was in charge of the money and I knew where to focus everything but at first all the cops was a suspect especially after they cut off my cameras and I couldn't see what they were doing

all right well let me so you don't remember is that what you're telling me

I remember telling you that Lisa you know probably didn't take my money. But I just didn't know, I just knew it was missing. They cut off my cameras, so all of them were suspects until I figured it out.

So until you figured it out?

Until everybody figured it out, until it was solved, of where the missing money was.

All right, so just to clear this up and move on, you admit that you don't have any evidence that Lisa Phillips stole your money?

No.

But I know if she wasn't there in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation or be here.

And is it true that one of your big motivation really in making all of these posts is to make money?

To pay for the damage that they brought to my house under the circumstance that they shouldn't have even been there in the first place.

So the answer to my question is yes, your motivation was to make money?

To pay for the damages that they brought to my house under the circumstances that they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Have you made enough yet to make up for it?

Not really.

How much have you made on it?

I don't know exactly, but it wasn't hardly $24,000.

$24,000?

It wasn't that.

You're still making money today, right? With the new posts and advertisements and things?

It's publicity.

You're still selling merchandise, aren't you?

No. Publicity. Just me. just me, just everybody, you know, thanks to them bringing publicity to this, it's just an opportunity to run numbers up and be an entertainer.

And the more lies, outrageous lies you tell about them, the more money you can make, right?

Fact. They never should have came to my house in the first place. Fact, if they hadn't have came to my house, they wouldn't have put themselves on the video camera and in my music career. All of this is their fact. All of this is their fault. And they had the audacity to sue me. These people and you are the predators and the victim at the same time.

So what they did, searching your house, gave you the right to do everything you can?

Under the circumstance that I got freedom of speech after they run around my house with guns and kick down my door I got the right to kick a can in my backyard, use my freedom of speech, turn my bad times into a good time. Yes I do and I think I'm a sport for doing so because I don't go to their house, down their doors flip them off on their surveillance cameras then try to play the victim and sue them.

You are at Lisa Phillips is deposition correct. Yes, sir. In your lawyer's office. Yes, sir. Same office where you film part of that video last Friday. Yes, sir. And you saw how upset she was when she was answering your lawyers questions about how this had affected her, right? Yes, yes. And you saw your attorney say, should we do we need to take a break? Yes. And you saw her say no, let's get let's go on and get this over with. Yes, sir. You saw all that? Yes. You knew she was upset?

Just like she knew I was upset when she was standing in front of my kids with an AR-15 with her hand around the trigger ready to shoot me. Just like she knew I was upset when she cut my cameras. But I'm not a person, she is. So I'm sorry for being a victim.

Let's talk about the predators. Okay. Okay, so you saw all that, you saw how upset she was, you heard the testimony about her children, you heard the testimony at the depositions about Randy Newland's daughter who came home upset, you heard all that, but you're still posting stuff about her.

Yeah, because I understand it was Randy's fault and all of their fault for coming to my house in the first place. So if they hadn't of came to my house, their children wouldn't be saying nothing. None of this would be going home if they had a did their research and did things right. So all of this is their fault. And now they want to sue me for their mistake.

Is there anything that could change your mind about what you're doing to these deputies?

Is there anything that can change my mind about the fact that they shouldn't have been at my house in the first place? Is there anything that can change my mind about how my money shouldn't have been touched in the first place?

No.

That's all the questions I have.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I'm sorry.

You want to continue the direct examination of your client now? Your honor, I was gonna actually ask for a side or so we can talk about that. Okay, so let's just talk about it. Okay, so I was actually going to not do cross with Mr. Forme at this time, I was gonna hold off until our case in chief.

Yeah, I just offered you the chance to do that. So do you wanna do your direct examination on your case in chief right now?

Not right now.

Like the pogo stick of witnesses up and down is what I was talking about. If he testifies on his own direct case, it could be now or could be later. I just gave the lawyer a chance to do it now and later. He could like, so you'll likely see Mr Foreman again. This was an examination on the plaintiff's

case.

You get a chance to g this testimony on his cas You get a chance to g this testimony on his cas Thanks. Mr Foreman, you c