A$AP Rocky.
Image: Instagram
A$AP Rocky could face a "significant prison sentence" after rejecting a plea deal.
The 36-year-old rapper - whose real name is Rakim Mayers - appeared in court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, to plead not guilty to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in connection with an incident that took place in November 2021, when he said to have allegedly assaulted former friend A$AP Relli aka Terell Ephron.
During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Paul Przelomiec told Judge Mark S Arnold his office had offered a plea deal with 180 days in county jail if the 'Multiply' hitmaker pleaded guilty to the first count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, with the agreement also including three years probation, a seven-year suspended jail term, 480 hours of community service and a 52-week anger management scheme, but with the maximum possible sentence being 24 years in prison if he was found guilty, he planned to push for at least 10 to 12 if the star was found guilty.
According to Rolling Stone, when asked if he had reviewed the deal with his team, Rocky - who has two sons with partner Rihanna - said: “Yeah, they spoke to me about its detail, Your Honour. I respectfully decline, thank you.”
The judge told him: “You’re not going to get any special treatment. Your status as an entertainer, your status as the significant other of Rihanna, that’s not going to inure to your benefit, and it’s not going to inure to your harm.
“You are aware that if convicted, you will go into custody and it’s very likely you will get a significant prison sentence?”
Rocky confirmed: “Yes, Your Honour, I’m well aware."
During the hearing, the 'Praise the Lord' hitmaker's lawyer insisted he was only carrying a "prop gun", not a loaded pistol on the night of the incident and insisted Terell - who claimed they were fighting over Rocky allegedly reneging on a promise to pay for another friend's funeral - had fabricated the shooting and a grazing injury to extort the rapper for money.
The defence planned to bring in A$AP Twelvyy, aka Jamel Da'Shawn Phillips - who was present on the night of the altercation - and a tour manager of Rocky, with both expected to tell jurors the rapper often carried a prop gun after being "the victim of prior violence and stalker home invasions".
But prosecutors only claimed they had been told about the "fake gun" defence the night before the trial.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin told the court: “It’s a brand-new defence that’s never been mentioned.
“This is a straight ambush. This is not a minor witness [account]. This is their whole case. Their whole case is based on this witnesses statement.”
The judge declined to strike the witnesses but noted: “I don’t think it’s fair that you waited this long to disclose the starter pistol, if that’s central to your defence."
Bang Showbiz