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Tekashi69 Sentenced to 2 Years After Testifying Against Nine Trey Gang Tekashi69 Sentenced to 2 Years After Testifying Against Nine Trey Gang
(about 2 hours later)
The rapper and Instagram star Tekashi69 was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday by a federal judge who gave him credit for helping prosecutors send several of his former gang associates in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods to prison. The rapper and Instagram star Tekashi69 was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday by a federal judge who gave him credit for pleading guilty and helping prosecutors send several of his former gang associates in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods to prison.
The performer, who is also known as 6ix9ine and whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, has already spent nearly 13 months in a federal jail and that time will count toward his sentence. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan had described his cooperation against former members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods as “extraordinary” and “extremely useful.” The performer, who is also known as 6ix9ine and whose legal name is Daniel Hernandez, has already spent nearly 13 months in a federal jail and that time will count toward his sentence. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan had described his cooperation against members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods as “extraordinary” and “extremely useful.”
But the judge, Paul A. Engelmayer, said the conduct described was “too violent” to justify Mr. Hernandez’s immediate release from custody. But the judge, Paul A. Engelmayer, said the conduct Mr. Hernandez admitted to was too serious to justify his immediate release from custody, which his lawyer had sought.
Mr. Hernandez, 23, faces an uncertain future. Prosecutors have said he is at risk to be killed or injured in prison because the Nine Trey gang may seek revenge. Mr. Hernandez has signaled that upon his release, he is not interested in the federal witness protection program, telling the court in a recent letter that he intends to keep performing. “Your conduct was too violent, too sustained, too destructive, too selfish and too reckless with respect to public safety to make a sentence of 13 months at all reasonable,” the judge said, listing the litany of shootings and robberies that Mr. Hernandez, 23, had admitted to being a part of.
Plenty of recording artists use gang and organized crime motifs in their music, the judge acknowledged, but few actually participate.
“Bruce Springsteen sang about Murder Incorporated. You, Mr. Hernandez, essentially joined Murder Incorporated,” the judge said.
Mr. Hernandez — his signature rainbow-hair-dye long grown out — seemed attentive and engaged across the nearly three-hour hearing. He nodded as the judge spoke, and he offered an emotional apology to a woman who spoke about being shot during one of his crimes.
“I know I was wrong,” he said through tears. “I was weak. I was easily influenced. I can’t believe that was me. Again, your honor, there is no apology good enough.”
The sentence was a significant departure from the 37 years Mr. Hernandez faced, which the judge attributed to the rapper’s cooperation with government prosecutors.
“Your cooperation was impressive, it was game-changing, it was complete and it was brave,” the judge told Mr. Hernandez. “It has brought out the best in you, and you should be proud of yourself for it.”
Mr. Hernandez, who was born and raised in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, faces an uncertain future. Prosecutors have told the judge that his cooperation against the Nine Trey gang came at great risk to him and his family.
“Certain things people take for granted — going into a store, going to the movies, things of that nature — Mr. Hernandez will have to think strategically about,” Michael D. Longyear, a prosecutor, said in court on Wednesday. “He’ll have to look over his shoulder.”
Mr. Hernandez has signaled that upon his release, he is not interested in the federal witness protection program, telling the court that he intends to keep performing and making music. In December, he signed a $10 million record deal, which the judge pointed to in court.
The sentencing of Mr. Hernandez ended a bizarre, full-circle reinvention for Tekashi69, who until his arrest in November 2018 had spent years fashioning a public persona as the bane of law enforcement.The sentencing of Mr. Hernandez ended a bizarre, full-circle reinvention for Tekashi69, who until his arrest in November 2018 had spent years fashioning a public persona as the bane of law enforcement.
With his face tattoos and rainbow-colored hair, Mr. Hernandez once live-streamed videos of himself with guns to millions of his followers, goaded gang enemies into beefs on Instagram and taunted the authorities on Snapchat. With his face tattoos and distinctive hair color, Mr. Hernandez once live-streamed videos of himself with guns to millions of his followers, goaded gang enemies into beefs on Instagram and taunted the authorities on Snapchat.
But that facade crumbled when Mr. Hernandez was arrested on firearms and racketeering charges that carried a sentence of at least 47 years if he were convicted. But that facade crumbled when Mr. Hernandez was arrested on firearms and racketeering charges in November 2018.
Within 24 hours of his arrest, Mr. Hernandez made a deal with the government, agreeing to plead guilty and testify for the prosecution against two co-defendants, both former Nine Trey members. The next day, Mr. Hernandez began talking with the government, ultimately agreeing to plead guilty and testify for the prosecution against his former crew.
Mr. Hernandez pleaded guilty in February to racketeering conspiracy and eight related charges in a hearing that was initially kept secret while the federal investigation continued. One of Mr. Hernandez’s lawyers, Lance Lazzaro, told the judge that his client had met with prosecutors more than two dozen times.
“I was weak. I was easily influenced. I can’t believe that was me,” he said through tears at the sentencing hearing. “There is no apology good enough.” During his statement to the court, Mr. Hernandez appeared to break down after glancing at the audience. He explained to Judge Engelmayer that he had spotted his biological father in the courtroom. It was, Mr. Hernandez said, the first time he had seen the man since third grade.
During his statement, after glancing at the audience, he appeared to break down. He explained to Judge Engelmayer that he had just seen his biological father in the courtroom. It was, Mr. Hernandez said, the first time he had seen the man since third grade. The man later identified himself as Mr. Hernandez’s biological father and tried to take the podium, but the judge would not allow him. “It is way too late,” Judge Engelmayer. “You squandered that many, many years ago.”
The man later identified himself as Mr. Hernandez’s biological father and tried to take the podium, but the judge refused. Mr. Hernandez’s turn on the witness stand in September was a stunning twist in a career that had largely been built on his carefully cultivated image as a gangster. For three days, he broke the cardinal rule among gang members against snitching.
Mr. Hernandez’s turn on the witness stand was a stunning twist in a career that had largely been built on his carefully cultivated image as a gangster. For three days this fall, he broke the cardinal rule among gang members against snitching. In a calm, cordial tone, he testified in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, laying out in detail the inner workings of the Nine Trey gang for a jury that later convicted two of his co-defendants.
In a calm cordial tone, he testified in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, laying out in detail the inner workings of the Nine Trey gang for a jury that later convicted two of his co-defendants.
“Hernandez provided the government with critical insight into the structure and organization of the gang,” the government wrote to Judge Engelmayer last week, seeking leniency on Mr. Hernandez’s behalf.“Hernandez provided the government with critical insight into the structure and organization of the gang,” the government wrote to Judge Engelmayer last week, seeking leniency on Mr. Hernandez’s behalf.
Mr. Hernandez’s decision to cooperate with prosecutors, once it became public in February, prompted other gang members charged in the case to plead guilty as well, the government said.Mr. Hernandez’s decision to cooperate with prosecutors, once it became public in February, prompted other gang members charged in the case to plead guilty as well, the government said.
“The weight of the evidence, coupled with the knowledge that Hernandez was ready, willing and able to testify to describe the acts of violence and how they were related to Nine Trey were significant factors in the co-defendants’ decisions to plead guilty,” prosecutors wrote. In court, Mr. Hernandez offered a broad apology to his fans, his family and people — especially children — who had looked up to him. He said he hoped to use his music career to show young people “that it’s never too late to change.”
Mr. Hernandez apologized for his conduct in a letter to the judge last week. He offered no excuses and said he felt as though his world was “crashing down.” He said that even before his arrest, he had tried to distance himself from the Nine Trey gang “because I felt stuck, like the gang had control of my life and that I would never be able to escape their grip.” After the hearing, a lawyer for the woman who spoke in court about being shot said his client — who was referred to only as “L.L.” — believed Mr. Hernandez’s apology was sincere.
He added: “I still consider myself a role model to millions of people as an artist, a celebrity and as a human being. I’m happy that the public was able to witness me dealing with the consequences of my actions because I feel like it sheds a light on what can come from gang affiliation.”
Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, the lawyer for a woman who was injured in a Nine Trey shooting said his client believed that Mr. Hernandez’s apology was sincere. The woman, who was identified in court only as “LL,” spoke at the sentencing hearing.
“We appreciate that he apologized for what happened,” the lawyer, Hernandez Rhau, said. “She went through a lot with this situation, and today was her way of starting the healing process.”“We appreciate that he apologized for what happened,” the lawyer, Hernandez Rhau, said. “She went through a lot with this situation, and today was her way of starting the healing process.”
Sean Piccoli contributed reporting. Sean Piccoli and Joe Coscarelli contributed reporting.