Tekashi 6ix9ine is about to be a free man. According to TMZ, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer granted his request to be removed from the Queens Detention Facility over coronavirus concerns. The decision is classified as a “compassionate release” and effective immediately.
While the embattled rapper will be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in the comfort of his home, he’ll be on supervised release. During his first four months, he’s required to wear a GPS monitor and must remain at a pre-approved address.
The judge’s order reportedly states he can only leave if he needs to “seek necessary medical treatment or visit his attorney,” all of which must be pre-approved by his probation department.
In December 2019, 6ix9ine was sentenced to 24 months with time served. He was expected to be released on August 2.
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[This article has been updated. The following was published on April 1, 2020.]
Tekashi 6ix9ine could be out of prison any moment now due to coronavirus concerns. According to Page Six, the embattled rapper (real name Daniel Hernandez) could be released as early 5 p.m. Wednesday (April 1) if the Manhattan federal court judge overseeing his case agrees.
In a letter sent out Wednesday, Judge Paul Engelmayer wrote, “The parties are advised that, provided that the Court has legal authority to grant the relief requested by defense counsel, the Court intends to do so.” He demanded an answer by 5 p.m. EST.
6ix9ine, who has asthma, is currently being held at the Queens Detention Facility, a private prison run by the GEO group.
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6ix9ine’s legal team has been attempting to get him released for weeks as the coronavirus pandemic continues its rampage. Although Engelmayer was sympathetic to his plight, he initially shot down attorney Lance Lazzaro’s request.
“At the time of sentencing, however, the Court did not know and could not have known that the final four months of Mr. Hernandez’s sentence would be served at a time of a worldwide pandemic to which persons with asthma, like Mr. Hernandez, have heightened vulnerability,” Engelmayer wrote in a letter. “Had the Court known that sentencing Mr. Hernandez to serve the final four months of his term in a federal prison would have exposed him to a heightened health risk, the Court would have directed that these four months be served instead in home confinement.”
The Brooklyn native appeared in court last December where he was sentenced to 24 months in prison with time served. He was expected to be released on August 2 due to the 85 Percent Rule. But as the coronavirus pandemic grows increasingly more serious, things have evidently changed.
