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Artist News Legal
Tekashi 6ix9ine admits gang membership
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 4 February 2019
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has admitted to nine of the criminal charges filed against him as part of a plea deal. It is hoped that, by pleading guilty, he will receive a much more lenient sentence than the minimum 47 years in prison he is currently facing.
Having previously maintained his innocence of all charges, the rapper – real name Daniel Hernandez – now admits to having been a member of the New York street gang Nine Trey since 2017. Among the nine crimes he has pleaded guilty to are helping gang members to try to kill a rival last year, helping others to rob people at gunpoint, and being involved in a deal to sell a kilogram of cocaine.
“I did this to maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey”, the rapper told the court, according to the Guardian. “I apologise to the court, to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends and fans for what I have done and who I have let down”.
Although he had publicly identified himself as a member of the gang before, Hernandez then argued that that was simply bragging in his rap persona and not a reflection of his real life. Following his arrest in November, his lawyer Lance Lazzaro said in a statement: “An entertainer who portrays a ‘gangster image’ to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise”.
Representing him in court last week, another attorney, Dawn Florio, said that her client’s safety was now in danger, leading to the location of the prison where he is currently being held being kept secret. She added: “In the very beginning of the case when we found out that my client’s security was at risk because of threats by his co-defendants, we have done everything to protect himself and his family. He has to be separated from the people who threatened him”.
Hernandez has a significant wait to find out if admitting his crimes will reduce his eventual prison time. The date for his sentencing has been set for 23 Jan 2020.
