Meek Mill is being sent back to the slammer, with a judge sentencing the rapper to a minimum of two years in prison due to probation violations stemming from his 2008 conviction on weapons charges.
TMZ first reported that a Philadelphia judge ruled that the rapper (whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams) had violated the terms of his probation, and sentenced him to a minimum prison term of two years, but potentially up to four years.
Joe Holden of Philadelphia’s CBS 3 has confirmed TMZ’s report in a tweet, featuring video of Mill leaving the courthouse after sentencing.
The probation stems from Mill’s 2008 arrest and subsequent conviction on gun charges, which saw him spend eight months behind bars.
Mill was arrested in March for misdemeanour assault charges, and once more in August for reckless driving and reckless endangerment. While charges for both those incidents had been dropped, the dual arrests led the judge to review whether either of those incidents demonstrated that Mill had violated his probation, ultimately finding that he had.
The sentence may seem harsh until recalling that Mill was placed under house arrest in February 2016 after he was found to have previously violated his probation.
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Following the judge’s ruling, the rapper’s fans took to social media to share their sadness and offer their support, with some using the rallying cry, “Free Meek Mill.”
Also lending his support to Mill is controversial football player Colin Kaepernick, who tweeted: “Sadly there are Black folks going through the same radicalized injustice(s) within the justice system that Meek Mill has experienced for over a decade EVERY SINGLE DAY. This requires more than just gradual reform in laws—It requires a swift overhaul.”
