*The lawyers for Fetty Wap claim he became involved in a multi-million-dollar drug ring due to his “financial struggles.”
We reported previously (via CNN) that Fetty (born William Junior Maxwell II) has been sentenced to six years imprisonment and five years of post-release supervision for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.
The release states that Maxwell was a “member of an organization that distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.”
The rapper was indicted and arrested in October 2021, along with five others, on drug trafficking conspiracy charges, and was subsequently released on $500,000 bail.
BREAKING: Fetty Wap has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for drug-trafficking ???? pic.twitter.com/T5yrwDKdnt
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 24, 2023
According to Fetty’s lawyers, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from going on tour, thereby limiting the tour income he could generate, Billboard reports.
“What makes this case unusual is Mr. Maxwell’s motivation,” they wrote. “Personal gain was not his motivation. Rather, he was motivated by his commitment to financially support others. He now realizes that he does not have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
“Suddenly it felt like life was going in reverse and he became ashamed when he began to struggle to keep up the lifestyle that he created for so many,” they added. “His judgment became impaired. Desperate to keep up with his financial obligations, Mr. Maxwell became involved in the instant offense for a few months in the spring of 2020.”
According to Fetty Wap’s legal team, he “realizes the terrible mistake he made” and is “truly sorry for the loss and hurt he has caused.”
Fetty Wap’s attorneys are hoping to shave at least a year off his sentence, Vibe reports.
READ MORE: Fetty Wap Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy | WATCH
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