Controversial US rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has been ordered back to prison for a further three months after a judge found him in violation of his supervised release conditions. The artist, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, admitted to assaulting a man and possessing drugs, breaches connected to his earlier release from a high-profile gang case.
Judge's Frustration Over Repeated Offences
During a federal court hearing in Manhattan on Friday, Judge Paul Engelmayer handed down the sentence, expressing clear exasperation at the 29-year-old's conduct. The judge stated that Hernandez's actions suggested he believed "ordinary rules don’t apply to you," and emphasised that incarceration was necessary to send a definitive message. This latest penalty follows a 45-day prison term the rapper served in late 2024 for similar infractions.
The new violations stem from two specific incidents. In March, police discovered small quantities of cocaine and ecstasy during a raid on his Miami home. Then, in August, Hernandez punched a man who taunted him about his past cooperation with authorities at a shopping mall in Florida.
A History of Cooperation and Retaliation
In a lengthy statement to the court, Hernandez detailed the severe harassment and threats he and his family have faced since he became a government witness. He pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role with the violent Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. His subsequent cooperation in the racketeering case against other gang members led to a reduced two-year prison sentence in 2019, followed by five years of supervised release. He was released early in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hernandez told the court that the retaliation has been extreme. "Unknown individuals left a coffin in front of my house with an animal in it to send me a message," he recounted. He also described an incident where "three masked gunmen held my mom at gunpoint."
Recent Home Invasion Adds to Turmoil
The rapper's claims of ongoing danger were underscored by a separate police report from last month. According to authorities, the rapper's 60-year-old mother was at his Florida home when four masked men armed with handguns broke in. The suspects held her at gunpoint outside while they searched the property for money and car keys. Police, who arrived later with a K-9 unit, believe the burglars fled in a vehicle before officers could apprehend them.
Hernandez's legal team had argued for a sentence of six months' home confinement for the latest probation violations, citing these security concerns. However, Judge Engelmayer deemed a further prison term the only appropriate consequence for the deliberate breaches of court-ordered supervision.
