Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Brooklyn Rapper 6ix9ine Arrested on Racketeering Charges
By admin
Published 6 years ago on
November 20, 2018

Share

NEW YORK — Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was deemed a likely danger to the community and denied bail Monday after a prosecutor said there was evidence that he directed or participated in multiple acts of violence as part of a deadly gang.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman concluded an hourlong hearing by citing “troubling” corroborating evidence offered by a prosecutor to show that 6ix9ine directed or participated in multiple acts of violence over the last eight months.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear said a backpack stolen during a gunpoint robbery in April was found during a raid at 6ix9ine’s Brooklyn residence, along with an automatic pistol.

“The defendant is quite violent,” the prosecutor said of a man whose debut album, Day 69, was among the most downloaded records on iTunes.

Longyear said 6ix9ine was captured on surveillance video as he sat in a car and filmed the scene in Times Square when his co-defendants carried out a violent robbery against a rival gang member.

The prosecutor said he was also part of a video boasting about shots recently fired by a co-defendant in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

A Threat to Flee Because of His Worldwide Connections

Longyear also said the rapper was a threat to flee because of his worldwide connections, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and the knowledge that a conviction would bring a mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years in prison and as much as life.

6ix9ine was among five people charged in an indictment containing racketeering and firearms charges. The indictment alleged that he participated in the July shooting of a bystander in Brooklyn and the gunpoint robbery of one of his gang’s rivals last spring.

Pitman ordered 6ix9ine held until a Tuesday bail hearing, saying he was concerned about the danger to the community, particularly because the rapper could direct others to carry out acts of violence.

6ix9ine was among five people charged in an indictment containing racketeering and firearms charges. The indictment alleged that he participated in the July shooting of a bystander in Brooklyn and the gunpoint robbery of one of his gang’s rivals last spring.

His lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, said 6ix9nine — whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez — posed no threat and denies directing or playing any other role in violence.

Lazzaro said his client had fired some of his co-defendants as part of his management and security team last week and was offered protection by federal agents on Saturday after some of them were overheard on wiretaps threatening his life.

After the rapper refused protection, he was arrested on Sunday.

6ix9ine has been one of the most ascendant and controversial names in hip-hop in recent months. His album Day69: Graduation Day was among the top records on iTunes following its February release.

6ix9ine Has Had a Series of Run-Ins With Law Enforcement

He is also known for the multiplatinum hit “Fefe” with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at No. 3 on the pop charts, and “Stoopid,” featuring the incarcerated rapper Bobby Shmurda.

The indictment said each gang member was required to participate in at least two acts of racketeering conspiracy. Those acts could include murder, robbery, extortion and drug distribution, the court papers said.

But 6ix9ine also has had a series of run-ins with law enforcement and has publicly identified himself as a member of a violent New York gang, 9 Trey Bloods, which was mentioned throughout the indictment.

Prosecutors said the gang carried out acts of murder, robbery and narcotics trafficking in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn since at least 2013.

The indictment said each gang member was required to participate in at least two acts of racketeering conspiracy. Those acts could include murder, robbery, extortion and drug distribution, the court papers said.

The 22-year-old recently pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Brooklyn Criminal Court in connection with a May traffic stop.

In a 2015 case in New York, 6ix9ine was sentenced to probation for his involvement in a sexually explicit video of a 13-year-old girl.

The video, posted on social media, showed the girl performing a sex act on another man while 6ix9ine “stands behind the child making a thrusting motion with his pelvis and smacking her on her buttocks,” according to court documents.

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

DON'T MISS

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

DON'T MISS

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

DON'T MISS

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

DON'T MISS

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

UP NEXT

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

UP NEXT

Meet Amy Allen, the Songwriter Behind the Music Stuck in Your Head

UP NEXT

All Netflix Wants for Christmas Is No Streaming Problems for Its First NFL Games

UP NEXT

Investigation Reveals Millionaire Musicians Exploit COVID Relief Funds for Luxury Spending

UP NEXT

Jacob Collier Enlisted 100,000 Concertgoers on His Way to More Grammy Nods

UP NEXT

‘Tis the Season for ‘Nutcracker,’ Christmas Carols, and Sports

UP NEXT

Navy Honors Tom Cruise for Boosting the Military With His Screen Roles

UP NEXT

Woman Accusing Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of Sexual Assault Acknowledges Inconsistencies

UP NEXT

YouTube TV Is Hiking Its Monthly Price, Again. Here’s What to Know

UP NEXT

Country Star Morgan Wallen Sentenced in Chair-Throwing Case

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

17 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

17 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

18 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

18 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

18 hours ago

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

19 hours ago

Biden Signs Bill That Averts Government Shutdown, and Brings a Close to Days of Washington Upheaval

19 hours ago

This French Bulldog Is So Fetch: Meet Toaster Strudel

21 hours ago

The Fed Expects to Cut Rates More Slowly in 2025. What That Could Mean for Mortgages, Debt and More

23 hours ago

New California Voter ID Ban Puts Conservative Cities at Odds With State

24 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

In a recent interview, renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs outlined his concerns about the possibility of war with Iran, framing it as the culm...

16 hours ago

16 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

16 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

17 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

17 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

17 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

18 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

18 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

18 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend