Tekashi69's lawyer says rapper is innocent of racketeering charges and is actually a VICTIM of the killer gang he is accused of being part of
6ix9ine is currently facing 25 years to life in prison on six counts of the gang-related crimes.
Federal prosecutors alleged the 22-year-old rapper was involved in the violent New York City-based gang Nine Trey, a 'violent sect of the Bloods', for several years. The group 'enriched themselves by committing robberies and selling drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, furanly fentanyl, MDMA, dibutylone, and marijuana.'
Tekashi 6ix9ine's lawyer claimed that his client was 'completely innocent' of federal racketeering and firearms charges.
'An entertainer who portrays a 'gangster image' to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise'.
'Mr. Hernandez [Tekashi's real name] became a victim of this enterprise and later took steps by firing employees and publicly denounced this enterprise through a morning show. Threats were then made against his life which resulted in this case being brought immediately,' he added.
At Monday's hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear said the rapper did not renounce his membership in the gang on the radio show last week.
He said 6ix9ine would have been arrested this week anyway, but it was sped up when authorities learned that he planned to go to a Connecticut casino where it would be harder to protect him from the threats.
Last week the rapper revealed in an Instagram clip that he had dismissed his entire staff, including his manager and booker.
I fired everybody on my team,' the Gummo artist said in the clip, imploring his fans that he was not going to be performing live in the near future, even in cases where he might be advertised.
'I don't got no manager, I got no booking agent, no PR, no publicist, I don't got nobody on my team - it's just me.'
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think- ago
Latest development: (lol):
Well, hopefully he won't need a manager in the next 25 years or so. :-)