Rapper Fetty Wap sentenced to 6 years for drug trafficking

May 25, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

Willie Junior Maxwell II, known by his stage name Fetty Wap, during the height of his rap career. The artist was recently sentenced to six years' imprisonment for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP.

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A federal court for the Eastern District of New York handed down a six-year prison sentence to rap star Willie Junior Maxwell II, better known as Fetty Wap, in a high-profile drug trafficking case.

The musician was also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.

The sentence comes following the arrest of Fetty Wap’s co-defendant, Anthony Cyntje, a New Jersey correction officer who received a 72-month sentence on March 7, 2023. The four remaining defendants, all pleading guilty, are now awaiting sentencing.

Court documents detail that from June 2019 to June 2020, the defendants were responsible for distributing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. They procured narcotics from the West Coast, using the United States Postal Service and vehicles with hidden compartments to transport the drugs to Suffolk County, NY. The drugs were then resold on Long Island and in New Jersey.

Notably, five of the defendants used firearms to safeguard their drug trafficking operations. Participants in the drug trade included Anthony Leonardi, Robert Leonardi, Brian Sullivan, and Kavaughn Wiggins, who were responsible for purchasing and transporting the narcotics from the west coast to the east coast, where they were then sold. Maxwell, known as Fetty Wap, acted as a kilogram-level redistributor for the trafficking organization, while Cyntje was involved in transporting kilograms of cocaine from Long Island to New Jersey.

Investigation efforts, which involved executing several search warrants, led to the recovery of approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, two 9mm handguns, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition.