Lil Zay Osama is in a tough spot. The Chicago rapper entered a plea deal after being caught with a machine gun and unregistered firearm in September 2022. He was indicted on weapon charges in January, and has decided to plead not guilty. According to AllHipHop, Lil Zay Osama was detained following his plea, and will be due back in court on May 21.
The prosecution claimed that Lil Zay Osama, real name Isaiah Dukes, brought a Glock pistol with him to New York. He allegedly left the weapon in a rideshare vehicle that took him from a Manhattan hotel to a Queens recording studio. Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, issued a statement denouncing the rapper's actions. "This office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work diligently to protect our communities from such dangerous weapons," he wrote. "Machine guns have no place on the streets of our communities."
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Lil Zay Osama Faces Up To 20 Years In Prison
His legal troubles in New York have not stopped him from getting into trouble in his native Chicago. The rapper was arrested with two other men following a high-speed chase in December 2023. He was charged with the theft of stolen goods that were valued between $10,000 and $100,000, and the possession of a loaded machine gun. Both are considered felonies. Lil Zay Osama hopped on Instagram Stories following the arrest to assure fans that he would be fine. "I guarantee n****s gone need me before I need them," he stated. "I'll be home sooner than you think."
The rapper may have been correct in the short term, but he's facing a long prison sentence in New York. The 26-year-old is looking at 20 years in prison if convicted on all charges. His music career has drastically slowed down in the wake of these charges. He dropped his last mixtape, 4 the Trenches, in August 2023, and his last single "I Made It", was released the same month he was arrested in Chicago. Time will tell if the single was a premature celebration or a promise of brighter days to come.
Read More: Lil Zay Osama Arrested For Gun Possession & Robbery: Report
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