In a court ruling on Wednesday, rapper Fetty Wap, widely recognised for his 2015 hit single “Trap Queen,” which delves into the complexities of love intertwined with drugs, has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Fetty Wap sentence: ‘Trap Queen’ crooner gets six years
The 31-year-old artist, legally known as Willie Junior Maxwell II, had previously pleaded guilty in August 2022 to a drug conspiracy charge, acknowledging his involvement in a large-scale operation responsible for trafficking at least 500g or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years behind bars.
Maxwell’s arrest took place in October 2021, following an investigation that led to charges against him and five co-defendants for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to smuggle over 100kg (220lbs) of heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine from the west coast to Long Island.
The scheme purportedly employed tactics such as utilising the US Postal Service and concealed compartments in vehicles to transport drugs to the east coast.
Prosecutors claim that the illicit substances would be stored for distribution in Long Island and New Jersey. Two of Maxwell’s co-defendants have also entered guilty pleas and await sentencing.
In August 2022, Maxwell, a native of Paterson, New Jersey, was taken back into custody after a judge revoked his $500 000 bail, which had been secured by a property he owns in Georgia.
This action followed an alleged incident where the rapper brandished a firearm and made threats to kill an individual during a FaceTime call in 2021, thus violating the terms of his pre-trial release.
During the sentencing hearing held on Wednesday, Maxwell expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the harm caused to his community, those who look up to him, as well as his own family.
“I am truly sorry for any pain I caused,” he stated.
Maxwell’s legal team negotiated a plea deal that focused solely on the charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically cocaine. This arrangement aimed to shield him from the possibility of a life sentence had he been convicted on all charges brought against him.
Prosecutors, however, advocated for a longer prison term, asserting that Maxwell had utilised his fame to glamorise the drug trade while reaping substantial profits from his music.
In a letter to the judge, Breon Peace, the US attorney for the eastern district of New York, recommended a sentence ranging from seven to nine years, emphasising the need to send a clear message to aspiring drug dealers, particularly the impressionable youth who admire the defendant, that engaging in drug trafficking carries severe consequences.
Apart from the drug trafficking case, Maxwell has previously faced legal issues.
He was arrested in 2019 on charges of assaulting three casino employees in Las Vegas. In 2017, he faced a DUI charge in New York after allegedly engaging in a high-speed race on a city highway.