Roommates, the verdict is in, and Judge Engelmayer was not trying to hear anything about Tekashi 69 being released from prison today! Despite previous reports of him possibly being released on a time served verdict, he will remain behind bars.
Judge Engelmayer acknowledges that Tekashi did a great thing by cooperating with the feds , but he says he doesn’t believe 13 months behind bars is a harsh enough sentence for the crimes he took part in.
“However, I cannot agree with your counsel that time served is appropriate,” he says. “In my judgement, your conduct is too violent and selfish to make 13 months reasonable. You will not be going free today.”
As we previously reported, Tekashi has served 13 months in federal prison for various crimes he was entangled in with the Nine Trey Bloods. He was anticipating being released on time served but things did not go as planned.
Judge Engelmayer listed various crimes he was involved in, and has determined he is a detriment to the community, and benefited from being involved in the gang.
As a result, he has been sentenced to 24 months in prison with five years of supervised release.
During his time before the judge, Tekashi advocated for his own release, citing his influence on his community as a rapper. As you guys may recall, Tekashi visited a young boy who was suffering from cancer. He also helped purchase school supplies and groceries for a family in need.
He says those things are evidence that he is not a danger to the community, but he has the potential to be a positive influence and give back. In court, he read a letter to the judge saying:
“I failed these kids, the millions of kids, my own kids, I haven’t spoken to the whole time incarcerated. It will be a priority of mine to visit low income families,” he says. “I failed these people. They believed in Daniel Hernandez. I was too busy making the negative image in my 69 persona. I know God had a bigger plan for me. I want to inspire the youth that it is never too late to change.”
What are y’all thoughts on the ruling, Roomies? Was the judge too harsh? Let us know in the comments!
