Sheff G, the New York City rapper who appeared alongside Donald Trump at a campaign rally last year, has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to using his music earnings to fund gang violence in Brooklyn. The 27-year-old, whose real name is Michael Williams, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and a conspiracy charge as part of a plea deal.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said after the sentencing: “This defendant had talent and opportunity, but chose to use them to fuel violence instead of building a better future.” Sheff G must also serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.
Prosecutors said Sheff G acted as a getaway driver in a 2021 shooting that injured two bystanders and treated gang members to a lavish dinner at a Manhattan steakhouse to celebrate a 2020 shooting that killed a rival gang member. He was among more than 30 people indicted in a long-term investigation into gang-related shootings linked to the 8 Trey Crips and 9 Ways gangs.
Another rapper, Tegan Chambers, known as Sleepy Hallow, who also appeared with Trump and Sheff G at the Bronx rally, was sentenced last week to a year in jail after pleading guilty to a conspiracy count. Twenty-three other defendants have pleaded guilty, with seven cases still pending.
When asked about the campaign’s knowledge of the charges against the rappers, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said: “As Sheff G said, ‘They always whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures.’”
