Photo: Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty
Despite copping to being a member of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods andpleading guilty to nine felonies,Tekashi 6ix9inewill remain in prison for the majority of 2020.
The 23-year-old rapper appeared in federal court in New York on Wednesday, with Judge Paul A. Engelmayer sentencing Tekashi — né Daniel Hernandez — to 24 months in prison (with credit for 13 months served), five years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service and a $35,000 fine, according tomultipleoutlets. Although the judge called Tekashi’stestimony against his former fellow gang members“extremely useful,” Engelmayer ultimately found the rapper’s conduct “too violent” to set him free,theNew York Timesreports.
“Mr. Hernandez, if you expected to be released today, you will be disappointed. But you were wise to cooperate. Your cooperation will result in years more liberty,” Judge Engelmayar told the rapperaccording to Inner City Press, which was inside the courtroom. “The worst part is over. There is a great deal to be admired about you. You’ve learned a hard lesson here. I wish you very very well.”
Ahead of his sentencing, the rapper wrote a letter to Judge Engelmayerapologizing for crimesinvolving his former gang, the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
“There is no excuse, no justification and no apology good enough in this world to explain my crimes. While I have been incarcerated, I have had time to reflect on the recklessness and foolishness of my decisions. I wake up every morning asking myself was it worth it?” he wrote, according to theNew York Post’sPage Six.
Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty
The rapper, known for his albumDay69: Graduation Dayand hit “Fefe” withNicki Minaj,took a plea dealon Jan. 23 and plead guilty to nine felony charges, Page Six previously reported in February, when the court documents were unsealed.
He went on to admit to robbing a rival at gunpoint with other gang members in April 2018, to helping attempt to kill another rival in March 2018, and to selling a kilo of heroin in 2017, Page Six reported.
According to the outlet, Tekashi also pled guilty to further federal felonies including racketeering conspiracy, firearms charges, narcotics trafficking, and violent crimes in aid of racketeering. He waspreviously indicted for six felony chargesin November 2018.
The day before Tekashi’s court records were unsealed in February, three additional men were implicated in the attempted shooting of the rapper’s rival Chief Keef, Page Six reported.
His charges carried a minimum sentence of 47 years in prison, with amaximum sentence of life in prison, theNew York Timesreported at the time, going on to report in December that federal prosecutors asked the judge for more lenient sentencing in light of the rapper’s “extraordinary” cooperation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has labeled the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods “aviolent New York City gang.”
Tekashi was previouslysentenced to four years probation and 1,000 hours of community servicein October 2018 for a prior arrest over his involvement in a child sex case.
source: people.com
