Fetty Wap attends Power 105.1's Powerhouse 2021 at Prudential Center on November 21, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey.
Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage.
Fetty Wap Sentenced to 6 Years In Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
Fetty Wap has been sentenced to six years in prison for his alleged role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, where substances were transported in parts of New Jersey and Long Island.
Rapper Fetty Wap received a six-year federal prison sentence on Wednesday (May 24). Last year, the rapper, born Willie Junior Maxwell II, pleaded guilty to federal drug charges, where he was alleged to have a role in a drug conspiracy located throughout sections of Long Island and his hometown of New Jersey.
Maxwell’s plea, which only pertained to cocaine, also spared him from a potential life sentence if he were convicted on all charges. The drugs were reportedly transported from California via mail or through drivers in hidden compartments to transport the drugs through Suffolk County.
The rapper, 31, was arrested in October 2021 at Rolling Loud New York after being indicted alongside five others.
Although attorneys for the “Trap Queen” artist urged Long Island federal court Judge Joanna Seybert to a five-year sentence – the minimum allowed under the law – prosecutors asked for seven to nine years. According to Billboard, the prosecutors urged the judge to “send a message” against Maxwell, claiming that his music was used to “glamorize the drug trade.”
“Before his arrest, the defendant became famous singing about his experience cooking crack cocaine, selling drugs and making substantial money from those illegal endeavors,” prosecutors wrote. “Young people who admire the defendant and are considering selling drugs need to be sent a message.”
Attorneys for Maxwell claimed that he turned to a life of crime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as opportunities for live shows dried up.
"Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today,” Maxwell said in court, also apologizing for his actions.
At the Wednesday hearing, Judge Sebert ordered the rapper to a six-year sentence, which will be followed by five years of post-release supervision. "You've got a lot going for you. See if you can put it together,” Judge Sebert told Maxwell.
