Exactly a week after he was arrested on a number of crimes ranging for gun running to racketeering, American rap artiste Tekashi 6ix9ine has made his first appearance in court where he entered a plea of “not guilty” on all the charges he was accused of. His trial is however set to begin on September 4 2019 and will be kept behind bars until then as the motion for bail was denied.
Born Daniel Hernandez, Tekashi 6ix9ine rose to limelight less than two years ago and made a name for himself as a notorious gang member in the New York area. He was also involved in several altercations by members of opposing gangs and has had many of his concerts cancelled because of that.
Along with five of his associates, he was picked up by agents of the FBI last week for crimes that included armed robbery, public shootings and racketeering. If found guilty on all the charges, the 22-year-old faces a minimum of 25 years imprisonment, something his lawyer promises to fight to the end.
His debut album, Dummy Boy was scheduled for release only a couple of days before his arrests and has since been postponed indefinitely by his record label. In the last interview he granted before he was picked up, he spoke on Breakfast Club that the only things he was afraid of were God and the FBI. He also mentioned that he had seen several cars belonging to law enforcement and knew that they were building up a case against him.
“As alleged in the indictment, this gang, which included platinum-selling rap artist Tekashi 6ix9ine, wreaked havoc on New York City, engaging in brazen acts of violence. Showing reckless indifference to others’ safety, members of the gang were allegedly involved in robberies and shootings, including a shooting inside the crowded Barclay’s Center, and a shooting in which an innocent bystander was hit,” a statement from the District Attorney’s office read.