Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors following his recent arrest for alleged violations of his supervised release, agreeing to spend one month in jail and another on house arrest.
The rapper was charged last week with violating the terms of his years-long prison sentence, which stems from a plea deal he struck in 2018 with prosecutors for his involvement with a gang called the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
In a letter to the judge filed Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Tekashi had agreed to admit to the probation violations and serve one month in jail, followed by one month of house arrest, one month of less restrictive house arrest and , then a month of curfew.
The deal will also extend Tekashi's supervised release — which was set to expire in six months — to a full year after his release. The rapper's lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment.
Once a rising star in the world of hip-hop and social media, Tekashi was indicted in November 2018 on federal charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder due to his involvement with a New York street gang called the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Prosecutors claimed the gang “wreaked havoc on New York City” by “engaging in brazen acts of violence.”
But just a day after his arrest, Tekashi cut a deal with federal prosecutors to drop his crew in exchange for leniency. Taking the witness stand during a trial in 2019, he offered detailed and candid testimony about his gang involvement and former teammates.
Under the deal with prosecutors, Tekashi was sentenced to two years in prison and five years of supervised release and was ordered to serve 1,000 hours of community service and pay a $35,000 fine.
The sentence was set to last until July 2020, but Tekashi was released early in April 2020 after his lawyers argued that the coronavirus pandemic put him at increased risk because he has asthma.
Last week, prosecutors alleged that Tekashi had violated the terms of his release on several occasions, including traveling to Las Vegas without permission, failing to submit to a drug test and testing positive for methamphetamine.
At his hearing, the rapper pleaded not guilty and his lawyer argued that the failed drug test was from using the prescription Adderall. But the judge was undeterred and ordered him jailed until his next court date, citing a “broader pattern” of misconduct during his release which the judge said indicated a “full-range breach of the law”.
After Tuesday's deal, the judge ordered both sides to appear at a hearing next week (Nov. 12) to explain the plea deal and why the sentence “reflects the appropriate punishment for these violations.”
