Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine Pleads Guilty, Cooperates With Prosecution Of Nine Trey Bloods Gang

Tekashi 6ix9ine, born Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty to nine charges stemming from his role in a violent drug-trafficking gang and could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The rainbow-haired rapper, along with several other alleged members and associates of the Nine Trey Bloods gang, was charged in November on racketeering conspiracy and firearms charges, a federal indictment shows.

The gang “wreaked havoc on New York City, engaging in brazen acts of violence,” Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said when the charges were announced.

In one case last April, a member of the gang shot at a rival inside Barclays Center, where Tekashi was scheduled to perform. Though no one was hit, he later posted a video of himself and co-defendants bragging about the shooting, the prosecutors said. The video has since been deleted.

At a federal court hearing in Manhattan on Jan. 23, the rapper and Instagram star admitted to being a member of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods who engaged in “shooting at people, robbing people and, at times, drug trafficking.”

“I helped members of Nine Trey attempt to kill a rival gang member,” Tekashi disclosed. “I did this to maintain or increase my own standing in Nine Trey.”

The young rapper, 22, is cooperating with federal prosecutors in hopes of securing a lighter prison sentence and his former cohorts and ex-girlfriend are not happy about it.

Members of his crew are reportedly scrambling to keep themselves safe after it was revealed the hip-hop star sang like a canary while in federal custody. They fear Tekashi will release “intimate knowledge” about their involvement with the gang.

According to a letter obtained by The Blast on Feb. 1, ex-manager Kifano “Shotti” Jordan wanted the court to know Tekashi’s attorney, Lance Lazzaro, has also represented Shotti in four previous criminal cases as well as fellow co-defendant Faheem “Crippy” Walter.

Shotti and his attorney Jeffery Litchman, who also represents El Chapo, believe Lazzaro was privy to “privileged communications” that could jeopardize Shotti’s case.

The judge in the case, Judge Paul Engelmayer, ordered Lazzaro to send letters detailing his previous dealings with the other defendants by Jan. 28, in order to resolve the perceived conflicts of interest. It’s unclear if the letters have been submitted but Dawn Florio, Tekashi’s other lawyer, has retained her current role.

At the plea hearing, a prosecutor said that Tekashi’s cooperation was likely to reveal the criminal activities of other people and that he may eventually need to be placed in the witness protection program.

His ex-girlfriend Sara Molina, the mother of his 3-year-old daughter, has said she fears for her and her child’s safety if Tekashi speaks out against fellow members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.

Tekashi 6ix9ine, who has now earned the nickname “Snitch9ine,” apologized to the judge and “to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends and fans for what I have done and who I have let down.”

His plea and cooperation may help him obtain a reduced sentence, but it could also be the end of his rap career and relationship with his daughter.