The 'There It Go (The Whistle Song)' rapper is scheduled to start his 27-month sentence for gun possession on January 30, but his lawyer has submitted court papers asking for a one-month delay.
- January 29, 2019
AceShowbiz - Rapper Juelz Santana is seeking a delay to the start of his looming prison sentence so he can complete a work commitment for reality TV show "Love & Hip Hop: New York".
The "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" MC, real name LaRon James, is due to surrender to New Jersey authorities on 30 January to begin serving his 27-month sentence for gun possession, but he is requesting to push back the date by a month.
According to court papers obtained by The Blast, Santana wants additional time to wrap up career-related issues, and is asking for permission to travel to Georgia to shoot footage related to the TV show with moviemaker Tyler Perry.
"This event is connected to his participation in the television show 'Love & Hip Hop,'" his lawyers state in the filing. "It is crucial to his professional career that he be able to participate, and it will provide closure for him as he embarks on his term of imprisonment."
Santana, who wed his longtime girlfriend Kimbella Vanderhee earlier this month, also claims he was not given enough notice for the surrender date by prison officials, who have also allegedly failed to provide him with the required paperwork regarding the upcoming sentence.
A judge has yet to rule on the motion.
Santana was sentenced in December (18), nine months after security officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey found a loaded handgun and non-prescribed Oxycodone pills in a carry-on bag containing Santana's identification.
According to TMZ sources, he was facing up to 20 years behind bars after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon onto an aircraft, but he was ordered to serve just over two years. He will also be placed on supervised release for 12 months after he completes his term.
