Fetty Wap arrested in NYC on federal drug charges
NEW YORK - Rapper Fetty Wap has been arrested in Queens on federal drug charges. He was picked up by FBI agents at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon. The Rolling Loud hip-hop music festival was taking place there.
The rapper, whose real name is William Junior Maxwell II, was arraigned the following morning.
Also charged in the case was New Jersey correction officer Anthony Cyntje, Anthony Leonardi, his brother Robert Leonardi, Briand Sullivan, and Kavaughn Wiggins.
They are accused of selling more than 100 kilograms of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, on Long Island.
They are all charged with conspiring to distribute and possess controlled substances. Five of them also face weapons charges, according to an indictment.
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"The fact that we arrested a chart-topping rap artist and a corrections officer as part of the conspiracy illustrates just how vile the drug trade has become," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
The indictment claims that from approximately June 2019 through June 2020, the defendants distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.
They allegedly obtained the narcotics on the West Coast and used the U.S. Postal Service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments to transport them across the country to Suffolk County, where they were stored. The drugs were then distributed to dealers who sold the controlled substances on Long Island and in New Jersey.
Anthony Leonardi, Robert Leonardi, Sullivan, and Wiggins participated in the purchase and transport of the narcotics from the West Coast to the East Coast where they were processed, stored, and ultimately resold, according to authorities.
Rapper Fetty Wap attends an event on June 15, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Remy Martin)
Maxwell was redistributor for the trafficking organization and Cyntje transported kilograms of cocaine from Long Island to New Jersey, according to the indictment.
Search warrants executed during the investigation resulted in the recovery of approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, two 9mm handguns, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, and ammunition.
"We pray that this is all a big misunderstanding. He sees the judge today. We're hoping he gets released so we can clear things up expeditiously," Fetty Wap's attorney Navarro Gray said in a statement to FOX 5 News.
Fetty Wap rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015.
He lost his left eye as a child due to congenital glaucoma.
Fetty Wap, 30, has had several run-ins with the law in the past, including a 2019 arrest for allegedly assaulting 3 hotel employees in Las Vegas.
In 2017 he was arrested and charged with DUI after police say he was caught street racing another car on a New York City highway.
Police said he was driving his 2015 Mercedes more than 100 MPH in a 50 MPH zone when officers pulled him over. They say he gave them an expired New Jersey driver's license.
Information on the defendants:
Anthony Cyntje Age: 23 Passaic, New Jersey, arrested on October 13, 2021.
Anthony Leonardi Age: 47 Coram, New York, arrested on October 13, 2021.
Robert Leonardi Age: 26 Levittown, Pennsylvania, arrested on October 13, 2021.
Willie Junior Maxwell II (also known as "Fetty Wap") Age: 30 Paterson, New Jersey
Brian Sullivan Age: 26 Lake Grove, New York, arrested on September 30, 2021.
Kavaughn L. Wiggins (also known as "KV") Age: 26 Coram, New York, arrested on October 27, 2021.