Fettw Wap Sentenced To 6 Years Fed Time
Hip-hop artist Fetty Wap, whose actual name is William Junior Maxwell II, received a six-year prison sentence on Wednesday in New York. Additionally, he will be subject to five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty in his federal drug-distribution case.
In August, Fetty Wap pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, stated that the rapper was affiliated with an organization that engaged in the distribution of over 100 kilograms (approximately 220 pounds) of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in Long Island and New Jersey from June 2019 to June 2020.
Federal prosecutors revealed that the 31-year-old resident of New Jersey served as a significant distributor, handling kilogram-level quantities for the drug trafficking organization. Alongside him, Anthony Cyntje, a 25-year-old New Jersey corrections officer, was previously sentenced in March by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert to 72 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Cyntje’s role primarily involved transporting cocaine from Long Island, New York, to New Jersey.
The remaining four co-defendants in the case, namely Anthony Leonardi (49), Robert Leonardi (28), Brian Sullivan (27), and Kavaughn Wiggins (28), have also entered guilty pleas and are currently awaiting sentencing.
Interstate Trafficking
According to court documents, the defendants acquired the illicit substances from the West Coast and employed various means, such as utilizing the U.S. Postal Service and concealing drugs within vehicle compartments, to transport the narcotics across the country to Suffolk County, New York, where they were stored.
Following the distribution chain, the drugs obtained were subsequently supplied to dealers operating in Long Island and New Jersey, as stated in the report. Additionally, it was revealed that five of the defendants employed firearms to safeguard their drug organization and the process of distribution.
During the course of the investigation, search warrants were executed, resulting in the seizure of approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms (about 35 pounds) of cocaine, 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, two 9-millimeter handguns, a rifle, a .40-caliber pistol, and ammunition, according to the statement.
Fetty Wap’s initial arrest occurred while en route to Rolling Loud in New York in October 2021. He faced charges related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle substantial quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs into the New York City area. Subsequently, in August 2022, after prosecutors revealed that he had threatened an individual’s life during a FaceTime call in 2021, violating the conditions of his pretrial release in the drug case, Fetty Wap entered a guilty plea. As a result, his bond was revoked, and he was incarcerated per the judge’s decision.
It was reported that federal prosecutors pushed for a minimum sentence ranging from seven to nine years, emphasizing that Fetty Wap’s participation in the drug trafficking organization had resulted in a substantial influx of cocaine into Long Island.
On the other hand, according to XXL, his defense team proposed a five-year sentence. In a memorandum dated May 17, Fetty Wap’s attorney, Elizabeth Macedonio, contended that his involvement in the “instant offense” was influenced by “depression” and further aggravated by financial burdens that escalated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
