Rapper Fetty Wap arrested on federal drug charges in NYC

The rapper, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, was arrested Thursday at Citi Field, where the three-day Rolling Loud hip-hop music festival is taking place, FBI spokesperson Amy Thoreson said.

Associated Press

Oct 29, 2021, 1:12 PM

Updated 1,084 days ago

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The rapper Fetty Wap has been arrested in New York City on federal drug charges, an FBI spokesperson said Friday.
The rapper, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, was arrested Thursday at Citi Field, where the three-day Rolling Loud hip-hop music festival is taking place, FBI spokesperson Amy Thoreson said.
An attorney for Maxwell entered a plea of not guilty Friday.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Fetty Wap was part of a group that distributed cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.
It's alleged that the defendants in the drug trafficking case, three of whom are from Long Island, got the drugs from the West Coast and either mailed them or used drivers with cars that had hidden compartments.
The judged charged Maxwell with conspiracy to distribute and intent to distribute. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Prosecutors, however, say that they were aware that the defense would like to "engage in renegotiation" of the charges, but declined to provide additional details.
Maxwell's attorney Navarro Gray said, "We pray that this is all a big misunderstanding. He sees the judge today. We're hoping he gets released so we can clear things up expeditiously."
A bail application will be made at a future date. Maxwell is in federal custody until then.
Maxwell, 30, rose to prominence after his debut single “Trap Queen” reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015.
He has had other brushes with the law, including a 2019 arrest in Las Vegas for allegedly assaulting three employees at a hotel-casino. He was previously arrested in November 2017 and charged with DUI after police say he was drag racing on a New York City highway.
Maxwell experienced personal tragedy in October 2020 when his younger brother, 26-year-old Twyshon Depew, was shot and killed in their hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.
Then in June 2021, Maxwell's 4-year-old daughter, Lauren, died.