Watts rapper Drakeo, once poised as one of the rising stars of LA hip-hop, now faces the prospect of being locked up for the remainder of his prime years after the Los Angeles District Attorney refiled charges against him today according to local writer Jeff Weiss, who has followed and reported Drakeo’s case since the beginning. Drakeo was previously acquitted of two murder charges against him, with the jury hung on two other charges, criminal gang conspiracy and shooting from a motor vehicle — the charges the DA is refiling.
Bad Drakeo news: the district attorney has decided to refile both counts remaining against him: criminal gang conspiracy and shooting from a motor vehicle.
The jury hung on both charges in the previous trial.
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) September 3, 2019
Drakeo was accused of attempted murder for a December 10, 2016 incident in Carson, California, in which he and his Stinc Team collective allegedly attempted to kill a rival rapper at a party, resulting in the death of another man, 24-year-old Davion Gregory. While Stinc Team members Ralfy The Plug and Kellz were both convicted of second-degree commercial burglary and possession of an assault rifle and murder and attempted murder, respectively, Drakeo was acquitted on the various charges leveled against him.
Drakeo’s next court date is Oct. 3, where there will be a motion to dismiss the case. It’s unlikely that he will get bail in the interim. This is a monstrous decision but completely in line with the racist shambles of the LA and American criminal justice system. #FreeDrakeo
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) September 3, 2019
However, with the DA refiling, a new trial will be set for October 3 to determine Drakeo’s ultimate fate. According to Weiss, criminal gang conspiracy costs 25 years to life in prison while shooting from a motor vehicle — aka committing a “drive-by” — carries a potential life sentence after including gang enhancements, a particularly egregious leftover of the early ’90s crackdowns on gang activity in LA. Should Drakeo be found guilty, he’ll join his compatriot 03 Greedo as another of LA’s most promising rap figureheads whose rise to fame was cut short by the criminal court system.
