Trial of the Nine Trey Gangsters

The trial of the Nine Trey Gangsters was a criminal case against eleven[lower-alpha 1] alleged members and associates of the street gang Nine Trey Gangsters. The case is notable for its inclusion of rapper 6ix9ine, real name Daniel Hernandez, and his associate Kifano "Shotti" Jordan as defendants.

United States v. Jones
CourtUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Full case nameUnited States of America v. Jamel Jones a/k/a "Mel Murda", Kifano Jordan a/k/a "Shotti", Fuguan Lovick a/k/a "Fu Banga", Jesnel Butler a/k/a "Ish", Daniel Hernandez a/k/a "Tekashi 6ix 9ine", and Faheem Walter, a/k/a "Crippy"
Court membership
Judge(s) sittingPaul A. Engelmayer

The men were indicted on charges related to racketeering, weapon possession, and conspiracy to commit murder.[1][2] Hernandez was quickly made a person of interest in these charges and was apprehended alongside five other men on November 18, 2018, following a five-year joint investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the New York Police Department (NYPD), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Upon his arrest, Hernandez was initially denied bail and pleaded not guilty to all charges. He later changed his plea to guilty after agreeing to a deal with law enforcement on February 1, 2019. The guilty plea resulted in Hernandez admitting his guilt and testifying against his co-defendants,[3] as well as full co-operation and an insistence to commit no further crimes, in exchange for reduced prison time. On December 18, 2019, Hernandez was sentenced to two years in prison, a $35,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and 1,000 hours of community service. Hernandez ended up avoiding a potential minimum sentence of 47 years. Hernandez was originally set to be released on November 18, 2020, although his attorney Lance Lazzaro claimed "6ix9ine will be released ahead of schedule." His new release date was set for August 2, 2020, although reports surfaced saying he may be released as early as July 31, 2020. However, on April 1, 2020, federal judge Paul Engelmayer ordered Hernandez to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement starting the next day due to him suffering from asthma which makes him particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

Background
6ix9ine (pictured) was arrested in the week leading up to the scheduled release of his debut album Dummy Boy.

In October 2018, Hernandez was sentenced to two years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service after pleading guilty to federal racketeering and firearms charges.[4] To celebrate receiving probation instead of a jail sentence, Hernandez went to go have dinner with a music executive in New York City. His entourage was not allowed in by security, and this led to a fight that ended with one person being shot. Two members of Hernandez's entourage were charged with gang assault. Hernandez's manager Jordan later turned himself in on November 7, 2018, in relation to the fight and was also charged with gang assault.[5]

On November 15, 2018, three days prior to the arrests and a week prior to the scheduled release of his debut album Dummy Boy, Hernandez unexpectedly announced on Instagram that he had fired his entire team, including his management. He also cancelled his upcoming tour and said, "Whoever is booking shows for Tekashi 6ix9ine, is stealing your fucking money."[6]

Arrest and guilty plea

November 2018–January 2019: 'Not guilty' plea

On the night of November 18, 2018, six men were arrested by ATF agents in New York City: Hernandez, Jordan, Jamel "Mel Murda" Jones, Fuguan "Fu Banga" Lovick, Jesnel "Ish" Butler, and Faheem "Crippy" Walter.[7] The next night while being detained at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center, Hernandez was confronted by inmates affiliated with the rival Crips gang. Prison staff intervened and quickly transferred Hernandez to a different facility to eliminate any future gang threats.[8] On November 22, 2018, a seventh man, Roland "Ro Murda" Martin, was arrested and charged with crimes related to the case.[9] Hernandez's arrest caused his highly anticipated debut album Dummy Boy to be delayed indefinitely a day before its scheduled release. After an online leak, Dummy Boy was released on November 27, 2018, and managed to reach number 2 on the Billboard 200 within only three days of charting.[10]

"We don't fold, we don't bend, we don't break. It's Tr3yway."

Kifano "Shotti" Jordan in court, November 26, 2018[11]

On November 26, 2018, Hernandez pleaded not guilty and was denied bail, with a court date set for September 4, 2019.[11] Hernandez's lawyer continued to plea that his client was "...completely innocent of all charges being brought against him... An entertainer who portrays a 'gangster image' to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise."[12] An eighth defendant, Aaron "Bat" Young, was charged on December 19, 2018.[13]

February 2019–present: Co-operation with prosecutors
Rapper Chief Keef was allegedly shot at by Hernandez's associates after engaging in an online feud with the rapper in June 2018.

On January 22, 2019, three other members of the Nine Trey Gangsters were charged as part of the investigation: Kintea "Kooda B" McKenzie, Denard "Drama" Butler, and Anthony "Harv" Ellison.[14] McKenzie was indicted for attempting to shoot American rapper Chief Keef in June 2018.[15] Hernandez admitted that after becoming embroiled in an online feud with Chief Keef, he offered $20,000 to McKenzie to carry out the shooting. McKenzie carried out the attack outside the W Hotel in Manhattan, though no one was injured. After the shooting, McKenzie allegedly met with Hernandez and Jordan, settling for a payment of $10,000 for the attack.[16]

Butler was indicted for taking part in a separate attempted shooting of Chief Keef on July 16, 2018, where a bystander was injured by the gunfire. Ellison was indicted for kidnapping and assaulting Hernandez on July 22, 2018, after he claimed Hernandez disrespected the Nine Treys. At the time, Hernandez reported the incident to police in July 2018, claiming that he had been pistol-whipped and forced in a car, but soon became uncooperative during the initial investigation.[15]

On January 23, 2019, Hernandez changed his plea to guilty to all nine charges against him, and admitted to being a member of the Nine Trey Gangsters. Hernandez pledged to cooperate with prosecutors against others.[3] As part of the plea agreement, Hernandez will not be fully prosecuted for any of his nine charges as long as he fully cooperates in testifying against others and commits no further crimes. Following Hernandez's guilty plea, prosecutors leveled additional firearms and racketeering charges against Jordan.[14]

Hernandez's lawyer Dawn Florio began devising a plan to get him out of federal custody before September 2019 if the other co-defendants take plea deals to avoid a trial. On March 28, 2019, Jordan became the second co-defendant to enter a guilty plea. Jordan stated that "[6ix9ine] broke every code. But I forgive the little nigga after all that. It's all good", and noted that "Treyway still stands strong. I want that to be known."[17][18] In September 2019, Jordan was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of firearm possession during a crime and one count of firearm discharge during a crime.[19]

On April 2, 2019, Jesnel "Ish" Butler pleaded guilty to one firearms charge involving the April 2018 robbery of a backpack belonging to "Scum Lord D!zzy", the owner of Hernandez's label ScumGang.[20] The next day, Walter pleaded guilty for involvement in the robbery as well. Jones also pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of participating in a narcotics distribution conspiracy for helping to move heroin and fentanyl.[21] On April 19, 2019, Young pleaded guilty, becoming the sixth of the 11 defendants that have entered a guilty plea in the case.[13]

List of co-defendants
No. Defendant Date charged Guilty plea Release Date Incarcerated at Mugshots
1 Jamel "Mel Murda" Jones November 18, 2018 April 3, 2019 June 22, 2027 FCI Fort Dix Government Exhibit 7
2 Kifano "Shotti" Jordan March 28, 2019 October 24, 2031 FCI Allenwood Medium Government Exhibit 8
3 Fuguan "Fu Banga" Lovick May 9, 2019 June 26, 2024 FCI Loretto
4 Jesnel "Ish" Butler April 2, 2019 February 22, 2023 Released
5 Daniel "Tekashi 6ix9ine" Hernandez January 23, 2019 April 2, 2020 Released
6 Faheem "Crippy" Walter April 3, 2019 September 11, 2023 Released
7 Roland "Ro Murda" Martin November 22, 2018[9] June 27, 2019 February 13, 2023 Released
8 Aaron "Bat" Young December 19, 2018[13] April 3, 2019 February 26, 2035 FCI Coleman Medium
9 Anthony "Harv" Ellison January 22, 2019[14] November 4, 2020 September 8, 2039 MDC Brooklyn Government Exhibit 2
10 Denard "Drama" Butler June 4, 2019 August 8, 2023 Released
11 Kintea "Kooda B" McKenzie June 3, 2019 March 17, 2023 Released
12 Aljermiah "Nuke" Mack June 6, 2019[22] Not guilty plea
Convicted October 3, 2019[23]		 December 27, 2033 USP Hazelton Government Exhibit 1

Timeline & Co-Defendants of trial

The trial and its testimonies began on September 16, 2019 with Hernandez testifying for the government the next day.[25] He disclosed the gang's inner structure and activities[26] and later mentioned fellow rappers Jim Jones and Cardi B as members of various gangs.[27]

On October 3, defendants Anthony "Harv" Ellison and Aljermiah "Nuke" Mack were found guilty on kidnapping and racketeering charges, and currently face up to life in prison.[28]

On December 18, Hernandez was sentenced to 2 years in prison minus the 13 months already served, and 5 years of supervised liberty. On Thursday, April 2, 2020, Hernandez's lawyer, Dawn Florio, confirmed with XXL magazine that the court decided to allow the rapper to be released from prison and into home confinement. This was after Hernandez requested to serve the remainder of his prison sentence at home stating he was at a higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus due to his pre-existing asthma and bronchitis conditions. He was originally set to be released on August 2, 2020.[29]

Notes
  1. Six people were initially charged on November 18, 2018. Five additional people were charged between November 2018 and January 2019. See list of co-defendants.

References
  1. Klinkenberg, Brendan (November 19, 2018). "Tekashi 6ix9ine Arrested on Racketeering Charges in New York". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  2. "Tekashi 6ix9ine Faces Between 32 Years to Life in Prison". High Snobiety. November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  3. "Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine admits gang membership and pleads guilty". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  4. Moynihan, Colin (October 27, 2018). "Rapper 6ix9ine Sentenced to Probation in Sex Video Case". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  5. "Tekashi 6ix9ine Manager, Shotti, Turns Himself In for Dinner Brawl". The Blast. November 7, 2018.
  6. "Tekashi 6ix9ine Cancels Tour and Fires His Entire Team". The Source. November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  7. "TEKASHI69 Busted by Feds for Racketeering... FACING LIFE IN PRISON". TMZ. November 19, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  8. Young, Alex (December 3, 2018). "Tekashi 6ix9ine confronted in prison by rival gang members, NYPD investigating his connection to Chief Keef shooting". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  9. Janice Williams (December 4, 2018). "Who Is Roland 'Ro Murda' Martin? Tekashi 6ix9ine Federal Indictment Adds One More Alleged Gang Member". Newsweek. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  10. "Tekashi 6ix9ine 'Dummy Boy' Album Takes Billboard 200 No. 2 Spot Despite Jail Time". Newsweek. December 4, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  11. Jem Aswad (November 26, 2018). "Tekashi 6ix9ine Pleads Not Guilty to Firearms Charges, Trial Set for September". Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  12. Pranav Trewn (November 21, 2018). "Lawyer for Tekashi 6ix9ine says he isn't actually a gangster, only pretends to be one". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  13. Berry, Peter A. (April 19, 2019). "Sixth Defendant in 6ix9ine Racketeering Case Pleads Guilty". XXL. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  14. Adam Klasfeld (February 1, 2019). "Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine Cops to Heroin and Violence Charges". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  15. Gary Trock (January 31, 2019). "Tekashi 6ix9ine Entourage Member Indicted for Allegedly Kidnapping Rapper". The Blast. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  16. Price, Joe (February 12, 2019). "New Details Emerge on 6ix9ine's Attempted Chief Keef Shooting". Complex. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  17. Peter A. Berry (March 28, 2019). "6ix9ine's Former Manager Kifano "Shotti" Jordan Pleads Guilty in Federal Racketeering Case". XXL. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  18. Trent Fitzgerald (April 8, 2019). "6ix9ine Has Plan to Get Out of Jail by September: Report". XXL. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  19. Yoo, Noah (September 6, 2019). "Former Tekashi 6ix9ine Manager Kifano "Shotti" Jordan Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison". Pitchfork. Pitchfork. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  20. Shawn Setaro (April 2, 2019). "New Guilty Plea in 6ix9ine Case". Complex. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  21. Marisa Mendez (April 4, 2019). "Four 6ix9ine Associates Have Pleaded Guilty in Federal Racketeering Case". XXL. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  22. "Gang Member Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses". The United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. June 6, 2019.
  23. "High-Ranking Members Of Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses". The United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. October 3, 2019.
  24. Eddie Fu (September 18, 2019). "6ix9ine Breaks Down His "BILLY" Lyrics In Second Day Of Court Testimony". Genius. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  25. Setaro, Shawn (September 20, 2019). "The 6ix9ine Nine Trey Trial: What We've Learned so Far [Updated]". Complex. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  26. Watkins, Ali (September 18, 2019). "Dropping the Facade, Tekashi 69 Is Just Daniel Hernandez in Court". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  27. Moynihan, Colin; Paybarah, Azi (September 19, 2019). "19 September 2019". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  28. Stephen R., Brown (October 3, 2019). "Two Brooklyn Bloods gang members found guilty in trial highlighted by testimony from Tekashi69". NY Daily News. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  29. A. Berry, Peter (November 18, 2020). "6ix9ine to Be Released From Prison, Serve Remainder of Sentence in Home Confinement". XXL. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
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