A judge decided not to overturn the guilty verdict for Tekashi 6ix9ine’s kidnapper.
A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday chose to uphold the conviction against Nine Trey Gangsta Blood member Anthony “Harv” Ellison. According to Page Six, Ellison petitioned Judge Paul Engelmayer to throw out the guilty verdict handed down by jurors, arguing that the testimony provided by rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, should not be considered credible. However, it seems Judge Engelmayer vehemently disagreed.
“The evidence of Ellison’s commission of this crime was overwhelming,” the judge wrote in a statement. “Ellison’s argument as to Hernandez’s ostensible lack of credibility on the kidnapping count is particularly unpersuasive,” he said. The kidnapping mentioned refers to Ellison’s alleged kidnapping of Tekashi, which Ellison attempted to convince the court was an elaborate charade meant to boost record sales for Tekashi’s upcoming album. It seems the judge was not buying this version of the story.
Judge Engelmayer further criticized Ellison’s defense, saying, “…Ellison, who was in a position to attest as to his circumstances surrounding that incident—including, if true, that it was staged, and not an actual kidnapping—elected not to testify.” Now that his request has been denied, Ellison is scheduled for sentencing on February 26. Meanwhile, 6ix9ine also remains behind bars.
Tekashi was ordered to serve 24 months by Judge Engelmayer in December, after playing a role in the criminal activity of the Nine Trey gang. Although he was originally facing decades in prison, his sentence was significantly reduced after 6ix9ine became extremely cooperative with federal authorities, testifying against several Nine Trey leaders at the cost of being forever labeled a snitch.
Tekashi’s lawyers hoped the rapper would get out on time served at his sentencing, especially given the dangerous circumstances he will inevitably face once released. However, the judge felt that Hernandez still owed some time, and he is now due to be released in late 2020.
