Bobby Shmurda Associate Rashid Derissant Just Got A Huge Prison Sentence

Bobby Shmurda associate Rashid Derissant was sentenced to 98 years in prison on murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and assault charges.

According to the New York Daily News, which cites the office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan, Derissant killed a 19-year-old rival gang member in a Brooklyn bodega in February 2013 while trying to kill three others. Then, in July 2014, he is said to have shot a 22-year-old woman in the neck and a hip. The woman was reportedly an innocent bystander.

The Daily Mail shares additional comments from Brennan.

“As indicated by their verdict, the jurors in this trial heard evidence describing a cold-blooded murder, wild gunplay and a terrifying disregard for the safety of innocent bystanders as the defendants tried to violently settle scores with rivals in New York City and beyond. When Rashid Derissant and Alex Crandon (his co-accused) were armed, theirs was a neighborhood under siege. When they traveled to Miami Beach, they spread terror as they fired randomly at a nightclub. They took their New York City based grievances and rivalries to Miami, assuming that they could act with impunity there, claiming they were merely members of a music group. Their convictions on these crimes make our city a safer place.”

The enormous prison sentence is particularly noteworthy for those following Bobby Shmurda and his legal issues, because the rapper has a trial coming later this year and will reportedly be tried for the same conspiracy as Derissant.

Bobby Shmurda, whose real name is Ackquille Jean Pollard, is reportedly associated with Rashid Derissant by way of GS9, which is the name of Bobby Shmurda’s label and has also been described as a gang. Alex Crandonhave, another reported member of GS9, was convicted of the 19-year-old’s murder along with Derissant last month.

Bobby Shmurda is best known for his song “Hot N—–,” which was released in 2014 and achieved viral success, even spawning internet memes.

In December 2014, 14 members of GS9 were charged in a 69-count indictment, which included the aforementioned murder, attempted murder, drug dealing, weapons possession, and other crimes. Bobby Shmurda was declared the “driving force” behind the gang.

Shmurda, who pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, weapons possession, and drug dealing, was 21-years-old at the time, and his bail was set at $2 million. There were rumors that Epic Records, the label that signed Bobby, had posted his bail, but those turned out not to be true. Shmurda would spend the holidays and beyond in Rikers Island. He has since been in jail awaiting trial.

In January 2015, Shmurda had one weapons charge dropped. He had been accused of firing a gun at a crowd outside of a barbershop, but he was cleared of that particular charge. Around this time, there was a rumor that Bobby had turned down bail money from his two uncles Debo and Calvin Wilson, co-owners of Hard Tymes Records, whom Shmurda had previously accused of stealing $20,000 from him. The brothers had reportedly said they bailed out Shmurda in the past.

Around that same time period, Shmurda somehow found time in prison to record new music with other GS9 members. He recorded some parts for a song called “Computer (Freestyle),” which appeared on SoundCloud.

Shortly thereafter, Bobby Shmurda’s lawyer, Kenneth J. Montgomery, talked to the press and said that most of the charges against Shmurda were fabricated and “trumped up.” The lawyer indicated that Shmurda was just a kid as opposed to a gang leader and “enforcer.” He maintained that Shmurda did not shoot anybody and that “there are no victims in his situation.”

At the time, Montgomery also criticized the large $2 million bail, saying that Shmurda is not wealthy and calling it “excessive,” “unfair,” and “ridiculous.”

Last month, Vibe released this interview with Bobby Shmurda, who talked about his upcoming trial, politics, and social activism.

As Bobby Shmurda referenced in the above interview with Vibe, he recently endorsed Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. Clinton won in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary Election in Kentucky on Tuesday while rival Bernie Sanders won in Oregon.

[Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]