Rapper Bobby Shmurda will serve seven years in prison as part of a plea agreement with New York prosecutors, rather than stand trial on conspiracy and weapons charges.
The “Shmoney Dance” and “Hot N*gga” rapper, whose real name is Ackquille Pollard, on Friday pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy and another count of criminal weapons possession. The plea came just days before he was to stand trial on the charges, which could have gotten him 25 years to life.
He was being held on $2 million bail, nearly twice the typical amount, according to Gothamist.com.
Shmurda, 22, was busted in June 2014 in connection to a gun found at a friend’s apartment. At the time he claimed that it was a prop for a rap video, but prosecutors say that he was the head of a dangerous drug gang called GS9 that rolled through the streets of the Flatlands and East Flatbush area of Brooklyn, N.Y. He was arrested again in December 2014, a month after the release of his debut “Shmurda She Wrote” EP. Police say they found 21 guns with Shmurda and his associates, as well as some crack cocaine, Gothamist reported.
The indictment against Shmurda and several other alleged members of GS9 includes conspiracy to murder members of rival gangs, drug dealing, assault, weapons possession, and other charges. Although Shmurda will only serve seven years, a number of the others indicted got far more serious sentences earlier this year.
Alex Crandon, 22, got 53 years in prison for murder and conspiracy in connection with a gang shooting. Also, Rashid Derissant, 24, got 98 years behind bars for killing a rival gang member and trying to kill three others. Both were sentenced in May.
Read more at JETMag.com.
