Deijae Jester, the man convicted as a juvenile of killing Pop Smoke during a 2020 Hollywood Hills robbery, has received another sentence after authorities say he possessed fentanyl inside a Los Angeles County juvenile facility.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Jester was sentenced on August 13 to four years after pleading no contest to three felony charges connected to fentanyl found at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. He pleaded no contest on June 23 to possession for sale of a controlled substance, bringing contraband into a jail, and bringing or sending contraband into a juvenile hall or camp.
Prosecutors said the new Deijae Jester case stems from a December 14, 2025 visit from his mother, Nickia Tyonia Randall. The District Attorney’s Office alleges Randall attempted to pass her son two latex balls containing fentanyl pills. Authorities recovered one of the balls and said it contained 25 fentanyl pills.
The Los Angeles Times reported that guards noticed Randall trying to pass Jester a blue balloon during the visit. Investigators later reviewed previous visits and recorded phone conversations that prosecutors said showed discussions about getting contraband into the facility. The Times also reported that prosecutors sought the maximum five-year term, while Jester’s defense pointed to his difficult childhood and accomplishments behind bars, including earning his high school diploma.
The fentanyl case adds another chapter to the criminal proceedings surrounding Pop Smoke’s February 19, 2020, death. Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was 20 when masked intruders entered the Hollywood Hills home he was renting. Court testimony established that the then 15-year-old Jester pistol-whipped the rapper during a struggle and shot him three times in the back. A diamond-studded watch taken from Pop Smoke was later sold for $2,000, according to testimony.
Jester was convicted in the Pop Smoke case in 2023, according to prosecutors’ sentencing records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. Because of his age when the killing happened, his case was handled through the juvenile system. Corey Walker, who was an adult defendant in the case, later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two robbery counts. AP reported that Walker received a 29-year prison sentence under his plea agreement.
Pop Smoke’s impact only grew after his death. The Brooklyn rapper helped push New York drill further into the mainstream with records including “Welcome to the Party” and “Dior.” His posthumous debut album, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in July 2020.
Randall has also been charged with three felonies in connection with the alleged fentanyl handoff. The District Attorney’s Office said her case remains pending, meaning the allegations against her have not been proven in court.
