Fetty Wap Sentenced To Six Years On Drug Charges
• Grammy-nominated rapper Fetty Wap has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in a New York-based drug-trafficking scheme.
According to the AP, Wap, whose legal name is Willie Maxwell II, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to a conspiracy drug charge that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. The sentence was handed down in federal court on Long Island. Maxwell apologized for his actions, telling Judge Joanna Seybert, “Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today.” Wap’s lawyers had suggested he turned to selling drugs because of financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New Jersey-born Maxwell, who rose to prominence after his debut single, “Trap Queen,” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2015 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016, was arrested in October 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area. He and five co-defendants were accused of conspiring to possess and distribute more than 220 pounds of heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine between June 2019 and June 2020. Prosecutors said the scheme involved using the U.S. Postal Service and cars with hidden compartments to move drugs from the West Coast to Long Island, where they were stored for distribution to dealers on Long Island and in New Jersey.
Maxwell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances, the top charge in an indictment against him, admitting that he participated in a massive drug trafficking racket. The plea, which pertained only to cocaine, spared him from a potential life sentence if he had been convicted on all the charges he faced. Maxwell’s lawyers had hoped for the minimum five-year prison term, while prosecutors sought a longer sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Caffarone said the prosecution was not about Maxwell’s fame as a performer, commenting, “The defendant did actually sell drugs. The defendant did actually sell cocaine.” Judge Seybert told Maxwell, “You’ve got a lot going for you. See if you can put it together.”
