Rapper Beanie Sigel is headed back to federal prison for violating his probation.
The Associated Press reports that Sigel was ordered to serve one day in federal prison and six months in a halfway house, after he was found guilty on Wednesday (Jan. 8) of a second probation violation for taking a trip to Atlantic City, N.J.
U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick also found the rapper (born Dwight Grant) guilty of being in contact with a convicted felon.
As a result, Sigel’s probation, which was originally set to end next month, was extended by 18 months.
The sentence is the latest setback for Sigel, who has been at the center of various legal situations in recent years.
The rapper, who spent a year in federal prison on a gun charge, was later acquitted of attempted murder in September 2005, a month after being released.
Later that same year, he was jailed briefly for failing to pay $27,000 in child support.
In 2006, Sigel continued to stay in the eyes of the law, when he told police he was shot by men who surrounded him and stole his cash and jewelry.
Last year, a federal judge extended Sigel’s supervised release amid allegations that he violated parole.
Despite the legal drama, Sigel made an effort to turn things around in December when he joined comedian/actor Bill Cosby to lead an anti-violence march decrying Philadelphia’s rising gun violence.
The rapper also spoke about staying in school and making good life choices at a high school in a southwest Philadelphia neighborhood.
Although his legal situations have painted a negative picture of him, Sigel admitted that he isn’t the person he used to be. “I’m human, but I’m working on my mistakes,” he told Surrick.
Nevertheless, Surrick told the rapper that his actions have consequences as he could have sent Sigel away to prison for three to nine months.
“If they’re looking at you as a role model, you’ve got to do the right thing,” said Surrick, who recognized Sigel’s positive contributions.
Sigel will also serve six months of his new sentence in a halfway house.
He will be unable to promote his latest album The Solution during this time.
