The Tekashi 6ix9ine legal saga is set to continue for at least another ten months, with the rapper pleading not guilty to federal racketeering charges on Monday.
As TMZ reports, Tekashi 6ix9ine (born Daniel Hernandez) appeared before a US court yesterday morning where he and his co-defendants plead not guilty to a series of federal racketeering charges.
At this stage, the controversial rapper is set to remain in custody for an indefinite period of time, with a pre-trial conference set for a January, and a trial scheduled for September 4th, 2019. If convicted of these federal charges, Hernandez could be facing life in prison.
As Complex noted, 6ix9ine’s former manager Shotti briefly addressed the court during the hearing. “We don’t fold, we don’t bend, we don’t break,” he was reported as saying. “Its Tr3yway.”
While 6ix9ine was denied bail earlier in the month, his lawyer Lance Lazzaro reportedly plans to apply for bail to the trial judge, though it’s not clear if his efforts have been successful yet.
Tekashi 6ix9ine’s legal troubles resurfaced earlier this month when the rapper was involved in a shooting that occurred on the set for his latest music video, which starred both Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. Just days later, he found himself arrested by US police on racketeering charges, which carry with them a penalty of life in prison.
Despite the fact that 6ix9ine and the four others he was arrested with are reportedly members of Bloods street gang ‘Nine Trey Blood’, the rapper’s lawyer claimed that he has no actual gang affiliation, and that any previous indication he did was just part of his ‘image’.
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Regardless, 6ix9ine has since been placed in protective custody – away from other members of the Bloods – in an effort to keep him safe in the lead-up to a trial.
Over the weekend, his debut album, DUMMY BOY, prematurely leaked online, just two days after it was originally supposed to be released, and four days after its release date was initially pushed back.
While it’s not clear how long Tekashi 6ix9ine will remain in custody, we can say with certainty that this is not the last we’ve heard about his ongoing legal issues.
Check out 6ix9ine’s ‘Tati’:
