Dancehall star Squash has reportedly reached a plea deal with US prosecutors, which could see him changed his plea to guilty at his next court date.
According to reports, Squash, real name Andrae Maurice Whittaker, and his legal team managed to work out a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in South Florida in his ongoing gun case. The Montego Bay deejay was arrested in February this year, and it with weapon possession charges.
The arrest also landed the “Big Breeze” artist in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. He was subsequently released from ICE lockup pending trial on charges of unlawful possession of a machine gun and being an alien in possession of a firearm.
Squash’s legal team filed new documents in court on Monday (August 18) telling the judge that the artist and prosecutors have reached a plea agreement. The deejay had an August 26 deadline to reach a plea deal with the feds or face trial. A trial that ended in a conviction could prove detrimental for him, as he would face up to 10 years in prison per charge.
The full details of the plea deal were not made public, but the artist will be pleading guilty to the charges when he appears in court on September 3. His trial by jury date was set for September 2, but that has been canceled as a result of the new development in the case.
Squash and another man, 24-year-old Zidanne George Prescott, were arrested earlier this year in the 100 Block of 41st in Miami Beach. Cops say they pulled over a grey Mercedes-Benz the two were traveling in at 10:58 PM on February 24 for a traffic violation. Police say they observed the passenger removing an item from his waistband and placing it in the glove compartment.
The arresting officer says the car’s driver initially denied that there were any weapons in the vehicle, but did not object to a search of the vehicle. That’s when police say they uncovered a modified Glock 19 in the glove box. Police say the handgun was modified with an invisi-switch plate, which allowed it to be used like an automatic firearm. The modification is popularly known as a “chip Glock.” Cops say they also found other weapons in the trunk of the car.
Although he is no longer facing trial, if he pleads guilty in court, Squash could still face some time behind bars and possible deportation to Jamaica.