Taxstone Hit With 37-Month Prison Sentence For Contraband Smuggling

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Taxstone 37 Month Prison Sentence Contraband
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 11: (L-R) Loyal Duce, Taxstone, and Fame School Tell attend Highline Ballroom on August 11, 2015, in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
Taxstone is already serving a 35-year prison sentence for manslaughter tied to a fight with Troy Ave at a T.I. concert in 2016.

Taxstone's current time serving his prison sentence got more complicated due to contraband charges against him, a case that just reportedly wrapped up. According to Complex, he received a 37-month prison sentence today (Friday, May 29) in Brooklyn federal court for attempting to smuggle drugs, a weapon, and more into the MDC Brooklyn prison where he's been at for the past few years.

The podcaster, real name Daryl Campbell, reportedly orchestrated a contraband scheme at MDC Brooklyn. As for the contraband itself, the plan was reportedly to sneak in a rope made of paper covered in synthetic cannabinoid, over 100 strips of a synthetic opioid, about 27 bags of marijuana, more than 400 cigarettes, two lighters, a scalpel, a cellphone-charging cord, and its plug. Last September, Taxstone pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in a prison facility.

Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis reportedly scolded him for leaning back in his chair during the sentencing hearing and talking to his attorney and paralegal. The podcaster admitted to organizing the smuggling scheme, but claimed he shouldn't even be in prison in the first place.

Why Is Taxstone In Prison?

For those unaware, Taxstone is serving a manslaughter sentence in prison, receiving a 35-year jail sentence in 2023. He recently said he's appealing this conviction. The sentence stems from the podcaster shooting one of Troy Ave's affiliates during a fight backstage at a T.I. concert in New York City back in 2016.

This new 37-month sentence for contraband smuggling will begin after this 35-year jail sentence ends. He also has a 115-month sentence over federal gun charges from that NYC incident. But that sentence will run at the same time as the manslaughter sentence. During this recent sentencing hearing, Taxstone reportedly complained about the difficulty of fighting his case federally rather than through state law.

Many folks in hip-hop media are reacting to this Taxstone news, adding onto years of conflict and strife. We will see what the next legal update is. In the meantime, we will see what comes of this potential manslaughter appeal. The conviction came down years ago, but things sometimes move slowly in court.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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