The rapper infamous for his link with a violent New York gang has been freed from jail after his lawyer appealed to judge that he's at risk of contracting coronavirus.
- Apr 3, 2020
AceShowbiz - Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is out of prison after a New York judge granted his request to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The "Fefe" star, real name Daniel Hernandez, was handed a 24-month sentence for gang-related activity in December 2019, but last month, March 2020, his attorneys appealed to Judge Paul Engelmayer to have him released from Queens Detention Facility as the asthma sufferer has a higher risk of health complications if he contracts COVID-19 while behind bars.
Judge Engelmayer initially denied the motion, claiming he didn't have the authority to free Tekashi, and instructed his legal representatives to take up the issue with officials at the Bureau of Prisons.
They dismissed the request too, insisting they had no control over the privately-run Queens Detention Facility, leading attorney Lance Lazarro to take the case back to Judge Engelmayer and plead for his help.
The Manhattan federal court judge relented and on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, explained his intention to let Tekashi head home, pending any objections from prosecutors - of which there were none.
According to documents obtained by the New York Post, Tekashi has since walked free from federal custody on "compassionate release" grounds, and will spend the next four months in "home incarceration," where he will have to wear a GPS tracking device.
"The defendant must remain at his residence except to seek any necessary medical treatment or to visit his attorney, in each instance with prior notice and approval by the Probation Department," Engelmayer wrote in his order.
Prior to the coronavirus chaos, Tekashi had been expected to receive an early release from prison and return home in late July 2020.
