Laugh Now — Rahiem Brooks

By 22, Kareem Bezel has made it to the top rung of the New York fashion scene, and he has done everything, including fraud, theft, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, identity theft, and embezzlement, to get there. His crafty spree of thievery propped his older brother, Andre Bezel's illicit drug business right into the cross hairs of corrupt DEA Agent Lucas McKenzey. Set in Philadelphia and its suburbs, LAUGH NOW, proposes that, although you're taken out the ghetto, if you were born to be a hustler that is what you'll be. The story shifts to New York, New York, but before the brothers get there, Dre is under suspicion for a murder. By the story's end, the brothers have a decorated federal agent exposed for the fraud that he is, and a story to tell: "The agent made us do it, or he would have us locked up like he did our dad." Does the bold statement help them avoid mandatory federal terms of imprisonment?