Five Charged in Rapper's Slaying

Five men have been charged in the slaying of rapper Lil Phat, whose body was found in a car in Sandy Springs in June 2012.

Charged with murder were Decensae White, a California basketball standout who played at San Francisco State University; Maurice Conner; DeAndre Washington; Gary Bradford and Mani Chulayev, a Russian mobster. Chulpayev was arrested on April 12 in Broward County, Fla.

Lil Phat's real name was Melvin Vernell III and he lived at Corbin Lake Court in Sandy Springs.

On June 7, the 19-year-old man was found shot multiple times in a car in a parking deck adjacent to Northside Hospital Women's Center. NBC Bay Area News reported that Vernell had been visiting a girlfriend who was preparing to give birth.

The men were all charged with murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal participation in gang activity and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. 

Authorities have said the five were business associates of Lil Phat and hired two men to commit the killing.

Pacific Patch reported that White, 25, was arrested earlier this month in Pacifica and extradited to Georgia, where he is being held in the Fulton County Jail. He's due in court May 31.

White was a high school basektball star in California and played at several colleges before finishing this year at San Francisco State.

NBC Bay Area reported that White moved from the Bay area to Georgia in 2009 in hopes of becoming a rapper but moved back to California to play basketball.