NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — On Monday, rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded not guilty to federal firearms and racketing charges, according to TMZ and local news sources.
Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, will remain in custody along with his co-defendants, Fuguan Lovick, Faheem Walter and Jensel Butler, as well as his former manager Kifano “Shotti” Jordan, who also pleaded not guilty.
How long Tekashi will stay in custody is unclear and TMZ reported that Tekashi’s attorney, Lance Lazzaro, plans to apply for bail as quickly as possible.
Tekashi faces significant legal jeopardy in the case, with potential penalties, if convicted of life in prison. The eight-count indictment alleges that Hernandez and his co-defendants participated in a racketeering conspiracy their involvement in Nine Trey street gang, and leveled charges against Tekashi of participating in a gunpoint robbery in midtown Manhattan, as well as “agreeing to shoot an individual who had shown disrespect to Nine Trey, resulting in an innocent bystander being shot, in the vicinity of Fulton Street and Utica Avenue in Brooklyn on or about July 16, 2018.
“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,” according to U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement following Tekashi’s arrest.
