Rapper Fetty Wap, whose 2015 hit “Trap Queen” propelled him to fame, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for trafficking narcotics across the United States. Fetty Wap, whose legal name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine after prosecutors accused him of using his fame to “glamorize the drug trade.” He had been in custody since his bail was revoked in August 2021 after he displayed a firearm and made threats during a FaceTime call.
During the sentencing, his lawyer argued that the rapper had been supporting many relatives and children and needed money to sustain them once the pandemic ended live entertainment. Fetty Wap apologized for the harm he caused to the communities and families of drug users. Prosecutors had asked for a longer sentence, citing the rapper’s use of fame to promote the drug trade and his use of children as extras in the music video for “Trap Queen.”
The case was one of the most challenging decisions for Judge Joanna Seybert, who acknowledged the rapper’s loving family and relationship with his children but noted that his crime was serious, and his actions while out on bail raised serious questions. In March 2022, one of his co-defendants was sentenced to six years for acting as a courier of cocaine, while the remaining four co-defendants pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Fetty Wap, who lost his left eye to congenital glaucoma,is from Paterson, New Jersey. He was at the height of his musical success when he was selling drugs. Since his arrest in August 2021, he has been held in protective custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn due to concerns he would be targeted for his fame.
