Tekashi 6ix9ine was threatened by Crips gangsters immediately after he went into prison.
The rapper was arrested on racketeering charges in November by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as part of a joint investigation with Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department.
A 17-page indictment was released by the Department of Justice, explaining Tekashi was one of six people arrested for being associated with, or a member of a violent New York City gang.
The indictment adds that Tekashi is facing six counts in total, including conspiring to commit crimes which include armed robbery, drug dealing, and shootings.
News of the rapper’s situation was shared by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Twitter.
The thread explained:
As alleged in the indictment, this gang, which included platinum-selling rap artist Tekashi 6ix 9ine, 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.
Thanks to the extraordinary work of HSI, ATF, and the NYPD, the defendants will now face justice in federal court.
At the time of his arrest, the BEBE singer was on probation for a child sex case with the terms that he should not participate in gang activity. If he broke the requirements he could face life in prison.
According to TMZ, Tekashi’s trial has been set for September 4, 2019. He pleaded not guilty to the racketeering charges, and attorney Lance Lazzaro put forward a bail plea offering $750k and stating Tekashi would give up his passport and remain on house arrest.
The judge denied the bail, sending Tekashi back to the intake cell at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.
As soon as the rapper was back in prison, some members of the Crips gang reportedly approached him ‘gangsta checking’ 6ix9nine, TMZ report.
According to a law enforcement source, the Crips squared up to Tekashi, who is an alleged member of the 9 Trey Gangsta Bloods, to see if he was a real gangsta or simply a wannabe who would back away to avoid the confrontation.
Prison guards stepped in to avoid a fight, but not before the Crips apparently told Tekashi he ‘better understand who’s in charge’. The rapper has since been moved to a different facility after apparently specifically requesting to be in a unit away from Crips and Bloods, though his attorney claimed he did not request to be moved.
Lazzaro said:
[Tekashi] was being threatened in jail. However, he was not scared nor did he request being removed. The [Bureau of Prisons], acting upon these threats, removed him to a different facility to eliminate the threat.
The attorney apparently has plans to apply for bail directly to the trial judge, so we’ll have to see how that attempt goes.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.