Tekashi 6ix9ine has been ordered to serve three months in federal prison after a judge ruled that the rapper violated the terms of his supervised release. The sentence was handed down on Friday (Dec. 5) in Manhattan federal court.
According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, 6ix9ine (real name Daniel Hernandez) committed multiple infractions in 2025 — including drug possession and involvement in a physical altercation — that ultimately led to the new prison term. He’s been ordered to surrender on Jan. 6, 2026, at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer found Hernandez in violation of his supervision after federal authorities discovered cocaine and MDMA during a March raid at his Miami home. In a separate incident in August, he assaulted a man at a Florida mall during a confrontation reportedly sparked by comments about his past cooperation with federal prosecutors.
“You’ve been throwing resources at him, but he’s still a dumpster fire,” Engelmayer said in court, adding, “You have repeatedly violated your conditions and the Court’s trust. All you had to do was not violate. But you had cocaine and MDMA in your home. You chased a man and beat him until you realized he had a gun.”
The ruling follows several incidents that breached Hernandez’s supervised release terms:
- Drug possession: Federal agents discovered cocaine and MDMA during a raid at his Miami home in March 2025.
- Assault: In August, the rapper attacked a man at a Florida mall.
- Prior violations: In November 2024, he admitted to using methamphetamine, skipping drug tests, and traveling to Las Vegas without permission, resulting in a 45-day jail sentence.
6ix9ine’s attorney, Lance Lazzaro, urged the court to impose six months of home confinement instead, citing significant safety concerns due to Hernandez’s history as a government cooperator. Lazzaro argued that the rapper is typically kept in isolation for protection when incarcerated.
Prosecutors pushed back, arguing that a prison term was necessary to reinforce the principle that Hernandez must abide by the same legal rules as everyone else.
This is 6ix9ine’s second return to prison in just over a year. In November 2024, he served a 45-day sentence for earlier supervised release violations, including unauthorized travel to Las Vegas, missing drug tests, and testing positive for methamphetamine.
His current supervision stems from his 2019 federal racketeering case, which was connected to the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Hernandez testified against several gang members, receiving a reduced sentence and early release in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns.
6ix9ine remains free until Jan. 6, when he must self-surrender to begin serving the three-month term at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His five-year supervised release period will continue once he completes the sentence.
