Tekashi 6ix9ine Sent Back to Jail After New Probation Violations

Mexican American rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is returning to federal custody after a judge sentenced him to three months in jail for repeatedly violating the terms of his supervised release. The sentence was handed down Friday in Manhattan federal court, marking the latest chapter in a long series of legal problems involving the performer, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez.

According to Billboard, a spokesperson for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed that the artist admitted to possessing cocaine and MDMA during a recent trip to Florida. Prosecutors also said he acknowledged assaulting a man who taunted him about cooperating against his former gang associates. These new violations came just months after the rapper had already faced sanctions for earlier breaches of probation.

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who has overseen Hernandez's case since his high profile racketeering conviction in 2018, imposed the three month jail term at the hearing. The judge noted that the pattern of misconduct left the court with limited options after previous warnings and lighter sanctions failed to deter the rapper's behavior.

Tekashi's legal troubles began seven years ago when he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to nine charges involving racketeering, weapons and drugs linked to the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. At the time, prosecutors described a series of violent incidents that involved targeting rival artists, including a 2017 assault on rapper Trippie Redd. Hernandez eventually cooperated with federal investigators and testified at a major trial in 2019, a move that significantly reduced his potential prison time. Judge Engelmayer sentenced him to two years instead of the decades he could have faced.

He was released in 2020 after serving a portion of that sentence because of health concerns during the early months of the COVID 19 pandemic. He then began a five year term of supervised release, which came with strict restrictions on drug use, travel and contact with known felons.

By late 2024, however, the rapper had accumulated a list of violations. Court records show that he tested positive for methamphetamine, skipped mandatory drug tests and traveled to Las Vegas without permission. Hernandez admitted to those breaches and received a penalty of forty five days in jail and an additional year of supervised release.

He was released last December but was cited again in March for possessing cocaine and MDMA. A separate incident in August at a Florida mall led to a misdemeanor assault charge that prosecutors said reflected a continuing disregard for the rules of his release. Tekashi has been on house arrest since September while awaiting Friday's sentencing.

Federal prosecutors argued last month that his repeated misconduct showed he had violated the trust of the court and emphasized that cooperators must also follow the law. They told the judge that another custodial sentence was necessary to reinforce accountability.

Tekashi's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, urged the court to consider additional home confinement instead of another jail term, citing his client's efforts to comply in recent months. Lazzaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the sentencing.

Hernandez will remain under federal supervision after completing the three month sentence, although the court has not yet outlined any new conditions. The rapper has not issued a public statement regarding the decision.