Rapper Fetty Wap was sentenced by a federal judge Wednesday to six years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for operating a large-scale drug conspiracy.
The Patterson, NJ, native, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, 31, previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy drug charge, which carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence. The “Trap Queen” rapper, along with five others, was accused of driving to Long Island and buying kilos of cocaine and then reselling it in both New Jersey and New York in 2020.
Maxwell’s co-defendant Anthony Cyntje, a New Jersey correction officer, was sentenced to 72 months in March for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. The remaining four co-defendants pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Fetty has been in custody since his bail was revoked last August after he was seen on a recorded Facetime call brandishing a gun and threatening to kill someone.
Last week, prosecutors recommended that Maxwell be sentenced to a longer-term contending that he was a “large-scale narcotics trafficker” who continued to use his fame to “glamorize the drug trade” while making millions from his music after his breakout hit “Trap Queen.”
Elizabeth Macedonia, Fetty Wap’s attorney, argued in his defense that her client should receive the minimum sentence due to his willingness to accept full responsibility for his offenses. Additionally, she asserted that the rapper resorted to drug dealing to support his family after his scheduled performances were canceled during the pandemic.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Fetty apologized for his crimes, saying, “I hurt my community, people who look up to me. My family and myself. I am truly sorry for any pain I caused.”
