Arrest warrant issued for rapper

Dante Terrell Smith, the rapper-turned-actor better known as Mos Def, is wanted in Las Vegas on a robbery and malicious destruction of private property charge.

A Las Vegas Justice Court judge has issued a warrant for his arrest on allegations that he smashed a photographer's camera and took it during an August scuffle at a fashion convention.

According to the arrest warrant, Smith told a credentialed photographer he couldn't take photos, then ripped the camera from the photographer's neck, smashed it to the ground and ran off with it.

The photographer, Volker Corell, was shooting for the "California Apparel News" during the Men's Apparel and Garment Industry Convention (MAGIC) at the Las Vegas Convention Center Aug. 26, according to the arrest report.

Corell told police he didn't know who Smith was until after the incident, according to the arrest report.

He suffered a cut to his left hand when the camera was taken from him, according to the arrest report. A receipt for damage to the Nikon D80 camera, which retails for around $800, was $178.

Convention center security confronted Smith at the convention and recovered the camera, the report states.

An assistant for Smith's publicist in New York said the publicist wasn't in the office on Thursday. She did not reply to e-mails sent to her.

Smith has been nominated for several Grammys, an Emmy and a Golden Globe award. His movie credits include "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Italian Job." He has released several R&B albums over the last few years.

He unveiled a new clothing line at the MAGIC convention this year.

Review-Journal writer Xazmin Garza contributed to this report. Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.