Tekashi 6ix9ine
(Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns)
(Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns)
The controversial rapper was slated to be released in August.
New York rapper Tekahsi 6ix9ine has been released early from prison amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that’s currently hitting the U.S.
A Complex report notes his motion for “compassionate release” was granted on Thursday. He will be on supervised release and is set to serve the first four months on home incarceration. This time he’ll be spending at home will be monitored with a GPS. Additionally, since the COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in New York, he won’t be able to leave his home. The only way he’d be able to leave is to seek medical treatment or to speak with his attorney, only if he receives approval from the probation department.
The rapper was originally slated for release in August, this was after he was sentenced to two years in prison in December of last year. Per Complex, legal documents filed by attorney Geoffrey S. Berman, read that the government “does not oppose the defendant’s motion for compassionate release.” The documents cited “extraordinary and compelling reasons” such as his health concerns.
We previously reported that the rapper’s legal team has been urging for home incarceration since March 22. On Wednesday, it was believed he'd be released this week. Inmates in prisons and jails nationwide have begun contracting coronavirus at alarming rates due to the inhumane environments within these institutions. According to The Hill, New York City has released 900 inmates to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. Prisoners who have been considered at high risk of contracting COVID-19 have been released early.
6ix9ine’s attorney Lance Lazzaro previously said that he was experiencing “some shortness of breath” recently. Complex notes it's unclear if the rapper has contracted the virus. “If he contracts the virus, he will die,” Lazzaro added.
In a recent report, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer denied Tekashi’s request to serve the rest of his sentence from home. It’s clear, a change of heart has led to the most recent development.
Source: Complex
