Tekashi 6ix9ine will NOT be walking away from court today a free man as suggested by previous reports … because the judge says 13 months in custody is not enough time for the serious crimes he’s accused of.
Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, appeared in federal court Wednesday (Dec. 18) for sentencing in his racketeering case, and Judge Paul A. Engelmayer revealed that the rapper will not be released from prison with time served.
“Mr. Hernandez, I’ve given it a lot of close thought, including your cooperation. The following are my thoughts…
“You are in custody for 13 months. I agree you deserve a great deal of credit for cooperation. However, I cannot agree with your counsel that time served is appropriate. In my judgment, your conduct is too violent and selfish to make 13 months reasonable. You will not be going free today.”
Judge Engelmayer: However, I cannot agree with your counsel that time served it appropriate. In my judgment, your conduct is too violent and selfish to make 13 months reasonable. You will not be going free today.#Breaking
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Engelmayer’s judgment also included mentions of incidents with rappers Trippie Redd, Chief Keef and Casanova, with the judge also noting: “Before you, the gang didn’t fight with rap entourages. They had no independent interest in going after musicians and their management groups … I reject the portrait of you as a passive participant.”
Judge Engelmayer later added:
“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.
“It is the judgment of the court you are to serve a term of 24 months in prison, with five years of supervised release.”
Judge Engelmayer: Mr Hernandez, please rise. It is the judgment of the court you are to serve a term of 24 months in prison, with five years of supervised release.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Because Tekashi has already spent 13 months in jail, that means he’ll only have to serve 11 months of that 24-month sentence … meaning he will be out of prison sometime in November 2020.
Once he’s out, he will spend the next five years on “supervised release,” and will be required to perform 300 hours of community service and pay a $35,000 fine.
Tekashi faced the possibility of life in prison, so while he will not be released today, 11 months is a far cry from what he was facing.
See the rest of Judge Engelmayer’s statement to Tekashi before sentencing him to 24 months in prison below:
Judge Engelmayer: Jordan fired into the sprinter van, in the Times Square area. It is a matter of sheer luck that an innocent person or people was not wounded or killed.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: You took the backpack and it was found in your home. As it happened, the musicians surrendered easily. But they might not have. Later, outside a restaurant when people yelled "F*ck 69." Jordan struck them with a firearm.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: Next was Chief Keef, He was in New York, you were in LA. You offered $20,000 to shoot at Chief Keef outside W Hotel. You later gave $10,000.
Then you were in LA. A rival was live streaming in Smurf Village. Jordan offered to shoot, you said OK— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: The woman, Sky, whose backpack was stolen and video of whom you put online, said this.
[Story with letter: https://t.co/zKzsVASZTd
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: You used Nine Trey as a potent means of getting even with your rivals. You claim you "foolishly commingled with members of the gang" – but it's more than that. The attacks would not have happened without you.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: You told the US Probation Department you were brainwashed by the gang. That might be partially true. But the relationship was symbiotic. They got something out of it. But so did you [Engelmayer slows the words down: So. Did. You.]
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: You have not been charged with using the members of the gangs as extras. You used them to much effect in GUMMO. It was your artistic license to do that. You are not being sentenced for that.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: That excuse is not available to you. By the time you began with Nine Trey, you were a nationally famous rapper. You had a prosperous future. Your counsel says he joined to break out of poverty. I am not buying that. You were set.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: But for your cooperation, you would get a very long sentence. When you began to cooperate in November 2018, some incidents the government didn't know about. But it knew about a lot. The April 3 robbery. The two April 18 shooting.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: Your cooperation was courageous. The danger to you is multiplied by your music career, which I understand you intend to continue. The fact that you are unusually recognizable does not help you. pic.twitter.com/nFLLgdg39E
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: You testified at the trial this fall, I saw you staining to make sure you were measuring your words right. You testified in harsh glare of nationwide publicity. There were two other cooperators. But you squarely implicated the two defendants
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: I have no doubt that the process of cooperation has for you been cathartic.
For all these reasons you deserve a very substantial reduction, & you will receive you. I followed some of the commentary during the trial, I took much of it in good fun— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: Anyone of use could have been in Times Square, or the Barclays Center, or in the street, with Kifano Jordan, or Anthony Young [Inner City Press: Aaron Young? https://t.co/m3U5Ps1AQx
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: I do not expect you to be tempted to commit violence again. If you do, I am the judge in your case. And your economic self interest. You have struck a lucrative deal. The situation is unusual. You are very fortunate. You will land on your feet.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Judge Engelmayer: Mr Hernandez, please rise. It is the judgment of the court you are to serve a term of 24 months in prison, with five years of supervised release.
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
Hernandez has already been taken out of the courtroom by U.S. Marshals. For those asking, seems it will be the announced 24 months minus the 13 months already served: so, eleven months, into late 2020. Heading out to #Periscope; story soon https://t.co/zKzsVASZTd
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 18, 2019
