Kunle Adeleye
Fetty Wap, an American rapper, was sentenced to six years in jail for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking scheme in which drugs were delivered from the West Coast and distributed in New Jersey and Long Island.
Willie Junior Maxwell II, the rapper’s true name, was sentenced in federal court in Central Islip, New York, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Maxwell, from Paterson, New Jersey, was arrested in October 2021 on suspicion of participating in a drug smuggling conspiracy including heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs.
In August, he pleaded guilty to a major charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled narcotics relating to cocaine. The charge included a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years.
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In court, the rapper, best known for his 2015 single “Trap Queen,” apologised. “I hurt my community, people who look up to me, my family, and myself,” he admitted. “I sincerely apologise for any harm I may have caused.”
While pronouncing Maxwell’s punishment, Judge Joanna Seybert said, “Despite your background and all you overcame, you threw it all away.”
Maxwell was sentenced to five years of post-release supervision in addition to six years in federal prison. NBC News has contacted his solicitors for comment.
Prosecutors had requested for a heavier sentence than the minimum, claiming that Maxwell exploited his celebrity and influence to “glamorise the drug trade.”
They said the singer rose to prominence after singing about his experiences making crack cocaine and selling drugs. Prosecutors noted that the “Trap Queen” video showed him with small children behind him while he “idealised selling drugs.”
Prosecutors said Maxwell was part of an organisation that distributed more than 100 kilogrammes of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey from June 2019 to June 2020.
Prosecutors claimed the organisation obtained the drugs on the West Coast and transported them across the country to Suffolk County for storage via the mail service and drivers with secret vehicle compartments. According to prosecutors, the pills were then supplied to dealers who sold them across Long Island and New Jersey.
Prosecutors said Maxwell was a “kilogram-level redistributor” for the organisation.
During the investigation, investigators seized $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilogrammes of cocaine, two kilogrammes of heroin, countless fentanyl pills, and various firearms and ammunition. Five of the defendants in the case, according to prosecutors, used firearms to protect the drug organisation and distribution network.
Six people were charged in connection with the plot, with four of them pleading guilty and awaiting sentencing. Anthony Cyntje, a New Jersey prisons officer, was sentenced to 72 months in jail in March for his role in the plot.
