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'I wanted to do right by my loved ones': Rapper Fetty Wap regrets 'hurting family' as he gets 6 years in prison for drug trafficking

The judge said, 'Without a doubt, you did a lot of dumb things when you got out, things that are arguably criminal'

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Rapper Fetty Wap expressed regret to his loved ones as he was given a six-year prison term on Wednesday, May 24 for his involvement in a bi-coastal narcotics network. The rapper, whose true name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was charged with making roughly six trips to Long Island in the spring of 2020 in order to purchase cocaine, which he then allegedly sold in New York and New Jersey.

Federal authorities claimed that the Paterson, New Jersey resident, one of five people indicted in the case, directly distributed 25 kilograms of the narcotic in the state. “I always aimed to lead,” the 31-year-old who became well-known following his debut single 'Trap Queen' said to the judge at the hearing in federal court on Long Island. Fetty Wap added, “I ended up hurting the community, hurting the people who look up to me, hurting my family, hurting my children, hurting myself," as per New York Post.

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'You did a lot of dumb thing'

Rapper Fetty Wap, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy of possessing and distributing more than 500 grams of cocaine in August 2022 and was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years. His lawyers had asked for the bare minimum, but Central Islip federal Judge Joanna Seybert rejected their plea because Maxwell had already broken his bail terms by making a gun threat to an alleged opponent over FaceTime. “There is a message to be sent,” Seybert stated adding, “Without a doubt, you did a lot of dumb things when you got out, things that are arguably criminal," as per the outlet.

'I never asked myself — is it all the way right?'

Maxwell apologized to the court before being sentenced in front of about 20 friends and family members, including music businessman Russell Simmons. "I only wanted to do right by my family and loved ones," he said to the judge and added, "In doing so, I never asked myself — is it all the way right?"

'The financial obligations were swallowing him up'

The Billboard-charting singer said that he sold drugs in a last-ditch effort to maintain his economic well-being after the pandemic drove him into an economic crisis. Following the lockdowns, as Maxwell's performance revenue dwindled, his attorney Elizabeth Macedonio said that Maxwell was driven to resume selling drugs in order to support his loved ones, including his eight children. "All these people were relying on a still young man with no money coming in," Macedonio said, adding, "There were bills to be paid, but the money was running out."

The attorney claimed Maxwell "turned to selling drugs" adding that he did so for a brief period of time and not for financial benefit or amusement. "There were a lot of mouths to feed. The financial obligations were swallowing him up… He got in and got out. His family was taken care of and that was the end of it," Macedonio said as per New York Post. Christopher Caffarone, a federal prosecutor, pointed out that while many people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, not all of them became drug dealers. "The people who lost their jobs — know what they didn’t do?" countered Caffarone, adding, "They didn’t drive to New Jersey, pick up 25 kilograms of cocaine, drive to Long Island and sell it on the streets."

'Large-scale narcotics trafficker'

Prosecutors suggested that Maxwell, who has been imprisoned since August, serve seven years, three months to nine years in prison. They claimed that Maxwell was a "large-scale narcotics trafficker" who "continues to use his fame, sizable platform, and influence to glamorize the drug trade." The federal authorities used Maxwell's breakthrough single 'Trap Queen,' which he composed about an ex-girlfriend who assisted him in selling drugs in Paterson, as an example.

'The defendant actually did sell drugs'

Macedonia stated on Wednesday that prosecutors were deliberately misusing Maxwell's song against him, citing other well-known songs about narcotics or crimes such as Bob Marley's 'I Shot the Sheriff,' 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' by The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze.' "This is music, it’s art," the judge stated. "It’s what Mr. Maxwell does for a living. It doesn’t make any of the songs true." Caffarone retorted, "I know Bob Marley didn’t shoot the sheriff … The defendant actually did sell drugs. He did actually sell cocaine."

Maxwell was arrested on October 29, 2021, and had been released on a $500,000 bond until he purportedly breached the terms of his release during a FaceTime chat on December 11, 2021. Maxwell and the others reportedly distributed over 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine from June 2019 to June 2020. As per reports, prosecutors said that Anthony Leonardi, 49, Robert Leonardi, 28, Brian Sullivan, 27, and Kavaughn Wiggins, 28, helped transport the drugs across the country to be processed, stored, and resold. According to the FBI, Maxwell dispersed the drugs, and New Jersey Correction Officer Anthony Cyntje, 25, carried them from Long Island to New Jersey. Cyntje was sentenced to six years in prison in March. The remaining four co-defendants have pled guilty and await punishment.

'Eye didn’t see that coming'

The internet reacted right away as the news spread. Many believed in the allegations, with one tweeting, "Trap Queen makes a lot more sense now." Another user said, "Eye didn’t see that coming." "The judge said “1738 days in jail" mentioned one person. While one user wrote, "I guess we can’t see eye to eye," and another added, "Well, I guess he won't be singing Trap Queen in the prison choir anytime soon." 

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