NEW YORK: A New York City rapper who joined President Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy charges after prosecutors say he used earnings from his music career to fuel gang violence in Brooklyn.
Sheff G, whose legal name is Michael Williams, agreed to serve five years in prison as part of the plea entered in a Brooklyn court Wednesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
“Notoriety could not shield this defendant from justice,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “He used his fame to fund and direct violence, terrorizing our streets.”
The 26-year-old rapper, whose songs and videos have millions of YouTube views and Spotify streams, was among those arrested in connection with a long-term investigation into gang-related shootings in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
More than 30 purported members of the 8 Trey Crips and the street gang’s affiliate, the 9 Ways gang, have so far been indicted.
Among them is Tegan Chambers, a rapper known as Sleepy Hallow who also appeared on stage with Trump and Sheff G during the May 23, 2024, rally in the Bronx.
Prosecutors say Sheff G showered money and jewelry on gang members as they battled rivals in Brooklyn.
They say the rapper even acted as a getaway driver on at least one occasion, chauffeuring three codefendants to and from a 2021 shooting that targeted a rival but instead hit two bystanders.
Sheff G also treated Sleepy Hallow and others to a lavish dinner at a Manhattan steakhouse to celebrate a 2020 shooting that killed a purported rival gang member and injured five others, according to prosecutors.
