Philly rapper Beanie
Sigel was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a gun and for possession
of drugs.
Sigel was sentenced
to a year in prison for an April 20, 2003 incident. He was also given two years
probation and must pay a $25,000 fine.
Sigel was accused
of leading police on a high speed chase and foot pursuit. During the chase,
the rapper tossed a stolen .45 semiautomatic pistol loaded with nine rounds.
A search of his
SUV turned up a variety of drugs.
Judge R. Barclay
Surrick sentenced Sigel. In the past, Surrick gave Sigel leniency, allowing
Sigel to perform, travel to New York and record new material.
In a three page
letter, Sigel had requested mercy from the judge with respect to his mandatory
sentence.
“I had let
myself get caught up in something,” Sigel said, referring to an addiction
to drugs.
Sigel completed
a 28-day inpatients program at the Hazelden clinic in Minnesota. According to
court records, Sigel was addicted to drugs by the age of 14 and would smoke
a quarter ounce of marijuana per day.
He was also taking
as many as six Percocet and Zanax per day.
“He convinced
himself that drugs were necessary for him to produce better music,” his
attorneys said.
Surrick said he
showed Sigel leniency due to the rapper’s recent charitable efforts and
the fact that he completed the drug program.
Sigel is still
attending individual and group therapy. The defense argued that Sigel’s
recent troubles were due to stress from work and family responsibilities.
Prosecutors painted
a different Sigel, pointing to his past criminal record and two violent incidents
last year.
Sigel is awaiting
trial for allegedly punching a 53-year-old man in the face. He will also go
on trial a second time, for allegedly shooting another man in the stomach outside
of a Philadelphia bar. The first trial ended in a hung jury.
“The history
of violence, use of firearms and drug dealing indicates that the defendant is
a danger to the community and that he is likely to commit other crimes,”
prosecutors said.
