The Brooklyn man who is accused of setting a plan in motion to kill his ex-friend, involving casual threesomes, sexting, and hitmen-for-hire, is currently being held without bail on Riker's Island. Ragene Powell-Dickerson claims he's innocent, and in a jailhouse interview with the News today, he stumbles upon what is sure to be the new go-to excuse for any defendant: "Why would I do that to my close friend? That's not my M.O. I'm a tax-paying citizen."
Powell-Dickerson, 25, is accused of paying a hitman $10,000 to off former friend Dwayne Burnett. Powell-Dickerson also allegedly hired two women to sext Burnett nude photos, and invite him to the "sex party" which would ultimately spell his doom. But Powell-Dickerson, a private bus driver, says he's too poor to have been able to pull off such a scheme: "Do I look like I have that kind of money? What am I, in the mob?" Burnett's family has also accused him of playing the part of bereaved best friend, taking Burnett's mother to his funeral, mourning with the victim's family in their home, and even paying for T-shirts and bandannas memorializing Burnett. "I went to pay my respects, like I should do," he told the News.
Powell-Dickerson does admit that he knew at least one of the women who sexted Burnett the night of his murder, but refused to go into details with the News. Either way, we wonder when people will finally figure out that while the joys of sexting are purely short-term, the digital evidence will remain for everyone to see.
