In January 2023, Lil Tjay was arrested en route to a filming session with Ice Spice. Arrested during a traffic stop in Brooklyn, police claim they found a handgun in the vehicle, leading to Lil Tjay's detention on a possession charge. His attorney, Dawn Florio, claimed that the gun found did not belong to the rapper. Furthermore, she claimed the traffic stop itself was illegal. The whole incident led to further controversy, as Lil Tjay was re-arrested after a courtroom blunder overlooked his arraignment and bail filing.
Gossip once again arose on May 5, when reports surfaced that Lil Tjay had been booked on a weapons charge in Bergen County, New Jersey. According to recentlybooked.com, Lil Tjay was booked for the unlawful possession of a firearm without a permit. However, his lawyer has issued a statement to clear up any confusion.
Florio Claims Lil Tjay Turned Himself In And Was Not Arrested
After the reports began to circulate that Lil Tjay had been arrested prior to his booking in New Jersey, Dawn Florio addressed the rumors. "This arrest is not a new gun charge." Florio told nydrilloffical via DMs, "He had to turn himself in for the case where he was a victim where he was shot multiple times." As for why he was booked despite being the alleged victim, Florio's message continued. "The allegation is that there were guns in the car."
Florio made reference to a June 2022 incident in Edgewater, New Jersey. Lil Tjay was reportedly shot seven times during a botched robbery in the riverside town. The rapper underwent surgery and made a successful recovery from the incident. However, it appears that he earned criminal charges from the incident. Similar to his January arrest, it appears the charges stem from the possession of a firearm without a license. The legality of the situation is interesting. Even though this incident predates the January arrest, only turning himself in now technically makes it a second offense. While the fact that the incidents happened in two states, New Jersey takes firearm offenses fairly seriously. According to New Jersey state law, unlawful possession of a firearm carries a sentence of three to five years. However, any updates in this case will be found here on HotNewHipHop.
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