In a court filing earlier this week, Fetty Wap's defense team spoke on the rapper's motivation leading up to his alleged involvement with a drug ring. They cited his desperation to keep up with the financial obligations of himself and others as the cause for his involvement. The lawyers also went on to say the rapper is apologetic for his crimes, realizing that his actions were a mistake. His charges carry a minimum of five years in prison with a maximum of 40 years.
“What makes this case unusual is Mr. Maxwell’s motivation,” Fetty Wap's lawyer said. “Personal gain was not his motivation. Rather, he was motivated by his commitment to financially support others. He now realizes that he does not have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders." The lawyer continued, “Suddenly it felt like life was going in reverse and he became ashamed when he began to struggle to keep up the lifestyle that he created for so many." He also claimed that "His judgment became impaired. Desperate to keep up with his financial obligations, Mr. Maxwell became involved in the instant offense for a few months in the spring of 2020.”
Fetty Wap Was "Ashamed Of His Struggle"
Fetty Wap was arrested in October 2021 on federal drug charges. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in August. When the rapper was arrested, police recovered a myriad of illegal substances and weapons. This included 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, and fentanyl pills. Police also seized two 9mm handguns, a rifle, two .45 and .40 caliber pistols, ammunition, and $1.5 million in cash. He was also later labeled by prosecutors as "a kilogram-level redistributor for the trafficking organization."
In a statement made by Michael J. Driscoll after the rapper's arrest, he said, "The pipeline of drugs in this investigation ran thousands of miles from the West Coast to the communities here in our area." He also added that it was "contributing to the addiction and overdose epidemic."