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Rapper Fetty Wap, Five Others Hit With Federal Drug Charges
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 30, 2021
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Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 30, 2021
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The rapper Fetty Wap was arraigned on federal drug trafficking charges on Friday, as authorities accused him of being part of a drug ring distributing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl across Long Island and New Jersey.
The New Jersey native, whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II, was arrested on Thursday at Citi Field, before he was scheduled to perform at the Rolling Loud Festival.
Others in the alleged ring include a NJ correction officer, Anthony Leonardi; Robert Leonardi; Brian Sullivan; and Kavaughn Wiggins, who were charged with firearms in connection with drug trafficking in addition to conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances.
According to federal prosecutors, the group obtained the drugs on the West Coast and "used the United States Postal Service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments to transport the controlled substances across the country to Suffolk County, where they were stored." They allegedly obtained and distributed more than 100 kilograms of drugs across New Jersey and Long Island between June 2019 and June 2020.
“The pipeline of drugs in this investigation ran thousands of miles from the West Coast to the communities here in our area, contributing to the addiction and overdose epidemic we have seen time and time again tear people's lives apart. The fact that we arrested a chart-topping rap artist and a corrections officer as part of the conspiracy illustrates just how vile the drug trade has become," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement.
Maxwell, who rose to fame with his 2015 hit "Trap Queen," pleaded not guilty and was held without bail. According to the Daily News, the prosecution "raised the possibility of plea negotiations in the case."
"We pray that this is all a big misunderstanding," his lawyer told the NY Times,
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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