Fetty Wap requests minimum prison sentence in drug trafficking case

Fetty Wap, born Willie Junior Maxwell, is hoping to get the minimum five-year prison sentence in his drug trafficking case, Billboard reports. In a recent filing, his lawyers blamed the rapper’s “terrible mistake” on his financial responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What makes this case unusual is Mr. Maxwell’s motivation,” his lawyers wrote. “Personal gain was not his motivation. Rather, he was motivated by his commitment to financially support others. He now realizes that he does not have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

“Suddenly it felt like life was going in reverse and he became ashamed when he began to struggle to keep up the lifestyle that he created for so many,” the filing continued. “His judgment became impaired. Desperate to keep up with his financial obligations, Mr. Maxwell became involved in the instant offense for a few months in the spring of 2020.”

The lawyers say Fetty doesn’t deserve to serve the seven- to nine-year sentence often associated with federal drug charges. They add he’s “truly sorry for the loss and hurt he has caused.”

Fetty Wap and five others were arrested in October 2021 at Rolling Loud New York for shipping over 100 kilograms of drugs from California and distributing them in Long Island. Prosecutors say they contributed to “the addiction and overdose epidemic we have seen time and time again tear people’s lives apart.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.