Grammy-Nominated Rapper Fetty Wap Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
CENTRAL ISLIP, New York (AP) — Grammy-nominated rapper Fetty Wap was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that flooded Long Island with cocaine. The 31-year-old from Paterson, New Jersey, apologized for his actions before he was sent to federal court in Central Islip.
Willie Junior Maxwell II (born September 26, 1990) is an American rapper from Paterson, New Jersey. He is best known for his singles “Trap Queen” and “Sweet Yamz.”
Fetty Wap started his career as a rapper and later began recording and singing. He combines both styles in his music and has described his style as “ignorant R&B”.
In 2014, Fetty Wap released his commercial debut single “Trap Queen” through 300 Entertainment. The song became a platinum record and was featured in the mixtape Up Next. It was also included in the XXL magazine Freshman Class of 2015.
Fetty Wap’s first significant acting role was in the VH1 reality television series Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood. The show documented his strained relationship with model Alexis Skyy and his daughter Alaiya. In 2019, it was revealed that he is not Alaiya’s biological father but is still a father figure to her. In September 2022, he married model Leandra Gonzalez. They currently reside in New Jersey.
He was arrested in October 2021 on charges of drug trafficking.
The rapper best known for the hit song “Trap Queen” has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme nationwide. The sentence was handed down in a Long Island, New York courtroom. His co-defendant, corrections officer Anthony Cyntje, was also sentenced to six years in prison for his involvement in the case.
The pair and five other co-defendants were accused of distributing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in a scheme that lasted from June 2019 to June 2020. Prosecutors say the group obtained the drugs on the West Coast and used the US Postal Service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments to smuggle them to Long Island for distribution. According to prosecutors, Maxwell was a “kilogram-level distributor” for the group.
His lawyers asked for a minimum sentence, arguing that he got involved in the drug trade during the opioid pandemic and would be more self-aware once released. They also said that his songs often talk about drugs, but he did not intend to take anyone’s life and was just trying to support his family. Despite the arguments, the judge disagreed and gave him the maximum sentence allowed under the law.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine.
In court on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced rapper William Junior Maxwell II, known professionally as Fetty Wap, to six years in prison and five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the DEA’s Brooklyn Field Division, with assistance from the DEA’s Central District of California and New England Field divisions; the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations division; and the police departments of Long Island, New York; Orange County, Florida; Winter Garden, Florida; and Clermont, Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins handled the prosecution.
