Tekashi 6ix9ine fears being ‘marked man for life’ after testifying in gang trial next month

By testifying against an alleged gang associate, controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine could be released from prison as early as January.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is expected to “point the finger” at alleged former gang associates in open court next month, including at one he says kidnapped and robbed him in July 2018. But the controversial rapper is terrified that he and his family will become targets for retaliation, TMZ is reporting.

The sprawling federal racketeering case that finally took the rainbow-haired rapper off social media and out of the public eye is reaching its conclusion, with a trial for two remaining defendants in the case starting Sept. 9.

The trial is expected to reveal the inner workings of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods street gang, which the rapper said he joined in 2017, Complex reported. Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the gang “wreaked havoc on New York City, engaging in brazen acts of violence.”

Because of this history of violence, Tekashi is worried that testifying will make him “a marked man for life” and that he could be assaulted in prison, TMZ reported. The Brooklyn-born rapper also is worried that his mother and brother could be harmed. He already has paid thousands of dollars for security to protect his mother, TMZ added.

Teskashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty in January to multiple racketeering, weapons and conspiracy charges and agreed to cooperate with authorities trying to bring down the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang. He is being held at an undisclosed federal facility.

Tekashi has had reason to cooperate. He was facing anywhere from a mandatory minimum of 47 years in prison to a life sentence if convicted. But under the terms of his plea deal, he could could be eligible for supervised release as early as January; he is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 24, Consequence of Sound reported. 

Tekashi is one of 10 alleged Nine Trey members who have pleaded guilty. Two defendants remain. One is Anthony “Harv” Ellison, who once was part of Tekashi’s management team, according to TMZ.

The “Gummo” singer is expected to testify that Ellison abducted him on July 22, 2018, forced him into a car, drove him around and assaulted him before robbing him of  hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry, according to Complex, citing court documents in the case.

Tekashi also is expected to testify that he told Kifano “Shotti” Jordan, his then-manager and one of his alleged gang associates, that he would “pay $50,000 to anyone who murdered Ellison,” the documents also show.

Ellison has denied kidnapping Tekashi, with his attorney telling reporters last week that he intends to argue that the rapper staged the kidnapping, Complex reported. 

“No robbery or kidnapping or assault happened,” Cannick said after a hearing last week at federal court in Manhattan. “It didn’t happen. He had an event that made it look like a robbery or kidnapping.”

Cannick also told reporters that Tekashi may have staged the kidnapping for publicity.

“He was about to drop an album,” said Cannick who may be referring to “Dummy Boy,” which was scheduled to be released on Nov. 23. “He trolls every time he’s about to drop another album. Gotta get your buzz up. That’s how you make money.”

“Tekashi has mastered the art of marketing, trolling, and, for lack of a better word, fabricating,” the attorney continued.

At the rapper’s plea hearing in January, Judge Paul Engelmayer told the rapper he could be eligible for supervised release after his sentencing but he couldn’t make any promises, according to a transcript of the hearing. It would depend on the findings of a pre-sentencing report, the judge said.

Tekashi acknowledged to the judge that he joined the Nine Trey Bloods in the fall of 2017. He also admitted to assisting the gang in its attempt to kill a rival gang member in order to enhance his standing with the gang. Tekashi also admitted that he paid an associate to shoot another rival, Chief Keef, and that he participated in an armed robbery and helped sell heroin.

“I apologize to the Court, to anyone who was hurt, to my family, friends and fans for what I have done and who I have let down,” Tekashi said in his plea.