Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine sent back to prison after probation violation in gang case
This follows a 45-day sentence last year for similar supervised release violations
Controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, was sentenced to a further three months in prison on Friday for violating the terms of his supervised release.
The 29-year-old Brooklyn artist admitted to assaulting a man and possessing drugs, breaches that occurred during his post-release period from a New York gang case.
During a federal court hearing in Manhattan, Judge Paul Engelmayer expressed considerable frustration at Hernandez's repeated infractions. "From time to time your actions suggest that you believe that ordinary rules don’t apply to you," the judge stated, emphasising that another prison term was necessary to convey a clear message.
This follows a 45-day sentence late last year for similar supervised release violations.
Hernandez delivered a lengthy statement in court, detailing instances of harassment and threats faced by him and his family due to his cooperation with authorities in the original gang investigation.
He recounted: "Unknown individuals left a coffin in front of my house with an animal in it to send me a message," adding, "Three masked gunmen held my mom at gunpoint."
Last month, the embattled rapper’s 60-year-old mother was at her son’s Florida home when a group of men broke in on Sunday night looking for his cash and car keys, police said.
When police later arrived to the scene, they learned that four masked men came into the house with handguns. The mom was held at gunpoint outside while the suspects looked through the property for money.
Cops searched through the home with a K-9 unit, but the suspects were nowhere to be found. Police told The Independent that the burglars might have got away in a car before officers arrived.
The rapper had pleaded guilty in 2018 to his involvement with the violent Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
His cooperation in the racketeering case against gang members led to a lenient two-year prison sentence in 2019, followed by five years of supervised release. He was even granted early release from federal prison in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest violations stemmed from small quantities of cocaine and ecstasy discovered at his Miami home during a police raid in March, and an incident in August where he punched a man who taunted him at a Florida mall over his past cooperation. His legal team had sought six months of home confinement for these breaches.