The 31-year-old rapper, whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was sentenced in federal court in Central Islip, New York, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declared on Wednesday that Willie Junior Maxwell II, who is popularly known as rapper Fetty Wap, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison after admitting to a conspiracy charge of distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Maxwell, who is from Paterson, New Jersey, was initially arrested in October 2021 on charges that he allegedly participated in a drug smuggling conspiracy involving heroin, fentanyl and other drugs.
He pleaded guilty in August to a top charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances pertaining to cocaine. The charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Maxwell’s lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio, filed a 33-page memorandum on May 17, requesting that he be given the minimum sentence of five years in prison, arguing that his involvement in drug trafficking was inspired by personal challenges that decreased his income, such as divorce and a lack of opportunities to perform during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He is described as a people pleaser and a person who gains great satisfaction from taking care of others. Suddenly it felt like life was going in reverse and he became ashamed when he began to struggle to keep up the lifestyle that he created for so many,”
Macedonio wrote
Macedonio portrayed Maxwell as a responsible parent who has been working hard to save money for his nine children since he was released on bail on Nov. 5, 2021.
However, prosecutors argued that Maxwell had a rewarding career as a rapper in Hollywood and still “chose to supplement his income by trafficking large quantities of drugs – drugs he knew would ruin lives”
Maxwell was accused of being part of an organization that distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey from June 2019 through June 2020, prosecutors said in a statement.
Prosecutors alleged the group obtained the narcotics on the West Coast and used the postal service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments to transport the drugs across the country to Suffolk County for storage.
From there, the drugs were distributed to dealers who sold them in Long Island and New Jersey, prosecutors said.
Maxwell was a “kilogram-level redistributor” for the organization, prosecutors said.
