2nd arrest in slaying of rapper after free pizza deliveries
A second arrest has been made in the October killing of local rapper Succeed Phlyguy during a home invasion in Henderson, a slaying that involved free pizza deliveries to his home in the days leading up to the break-in.
Detectives say that was a ruse to help the suspects figure out the victim’s schedule and patterns.
Court and jail records show that Michael Jerome Mosely, 27, was arrested Jan. 15, more than two months after the arrest of his co-defendant, Angell Cordero Fernandez, of Las Vegas.
Both men face charges of murder, attempted murder, burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, battery and robbery, all with a deadly weapon, according to the records. Fernandez, a 25-year-old felon who was out on parole at the time, also is charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Fernandez, who was indicted by a grand jury in December, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is awaiting trial, set to begin in March, while in the custody of the Nevada Department of Corrections, records show.
Felony arraignment Tuesday
Mosely is expected in Henderson Justice Court on Tuesday for his felony arraignment. Denied bail, he remains at the Clark County Detention Center.
Further details of Mosely’s arrest and indications of how Henderson police identified him were not immediately available Friday. It also was unclear whether police were still looking for a third suspect, as a previously released arrest report for Fernandez stated that the home invasion was the work of at least three people.
The report detailed a violent burglary on the night of Oct. 12 in the 2900 block of Clarity Court, where 40-year-old Ronnie Joe Cravens Jr., better-known as Succeed Phlyguy in the rap industry, lived with his roommates.
That night, according to the report, Cravens and his roommates were editing one of his music videos in the kitchen when two masked gunmen stormed into the two-story house, which sits on a corner lot in a well-kept neighborhood near South Eastern Avenue and St. Rose Parkway.
The confrontation was over within minutes, the report shows, after a shootout between the gunmen and at least one of Cravens’ roommates prompted the suspects to flee the neighborhood in a silver Dodge Nitro riddled with bullet holes. At least 27 shell casings were found at the scene.
Cravens died on his living room floor from gunshot wounds, according to the Clark County coroner’s office. One of his roommates also was wounded in the leg.
Pizza order led to Fernandez
Fernandez emerged as a suspect three days later after investigators began looking into the pizzas sent to the victim’s home on Oct. 4 and Oct. 8.
Investigators learned that they were ordered from a phone number registered to Fernandez, according to the report, and video surveillance in the neighborhood revealed that during both deliveries, the same Dodge used during the shooting had been parked on Clarity Court “conducting surveillance on Ronnie’s house.”
It remains unclear whether Cravens knew the suspects.
The rapper’s most popular song, “No Cap Zone,” was released in March 2019 and features DaBaby, the artist behind hits “Suge” and “Bop.” A music video of their song together has generated more than 1 million views on YouTube.
Cravens was a father of five, leaving behind his daughters Kyleigh and Kayleigh and his sons Shane, Zarnodrick and Jacob, according to his obituary.
He was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and began singing at an early age. In high school, he played basketball and football and ran track.
“He was a loving, caring, and giving person who loved his family dearly,” the obituary states.
Cravens was laid to rest in his hometown. In addition to his children, he is survived by his parents, Pam and Ronnie Cravens Sr., a brother, Kenneth, and a grandchild. He was preceded in death by his sister, Veronica, and both his paternal and maternal grandparents.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.
