What you need to know
Fetty Wap was released early from prison.
The 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Willie Jr. Maxwell II, was released from prison on Thursday, January 8th. Maxwell was serving more than three years of his prison sentence at FCI Sandstone, a low-security facility in Sandstone, Minnesota, Billboard and the New York Post reported.
The “Trap Queen” rapper pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess a controlled substance in August 2022 and was sentenced to six years in prison in May 2023.
“I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for their love, prayers, and continued support. It truly means everything to me,” the rapper said in a statement to Billboard. “Right now, my focus is on giving back through my community efforts and foundation, supporting at-risk young children and helping them reach their true potential by expanding their access to education, early technology skills, and vision care. I am committed to moving forward with purpose and making a meaningful impact where it matters most.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Maxwell’s representatives for comment.
The “My Way” rapper also confirmed his release on his Instagram Story, where he simply wrote “HOME” in white letters on a black background.
He was transferred to home confinement in Philadelphia, the Bureau of Prisons told TMZ on Thursday. He is scheduled to be released from supervised detention on Nov. 8, but will be subject to certain restrictions for the next five years, including mandatory drug testing and not being able to open new bank accounts without permission from federal officials. According to TMZ, he cannot consume alcohol or other substances unless prescribed by a doctor.
Fetty Wap/Instagram
During his sentencing in 2023, Maxwell apologized to the judge, saying that his “pride and selfishness put me in this position today,” according to the Associated Press. His lawyer argued that he turned to drug sales due to financial strain caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the newspaper reported.
However, in a letter to the judge obtained by The New York Times, prosecutors argued for a longer sentence for the rapper. They claimed he used his fame and influence over “admired young people” to “glorify the drug trade”.
The Grammy-nominated artist had his bail revoked in August 2022 and was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing in 2023. At the time, prosecutors said he threatened to kill a man during a FaceTime call in 2021, which violated the terms of his pretrial release in the drug case.
Fetty Wap was one of six people indicted in October 2021 for “conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances,” according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Never miss a news. Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on everything PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to human interest stories.
He and other men, including a New Jersey correctional officer, distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine throughout Long Island and New Jersey from June 2019 to June 2020.
The men obtained the drugs on the West Coast, transported them across the border using the U.S. Postal Service and a driver with a hidden compartment in their cars, and stored them in Suffolk County, New York, the release said.
The US Department of Justice said the rapper was a “kilogram level redistributor” for drug trafficking organizations.
“The fact that we arrested a chart-topping rap artist and a correctional officer as part of a conspiracy shows just how despicable the drug trade has become,” FBI Deputy Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement at the time.
