BEANIE SIGEL has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison, after pleading guilty to a federal gun charge.
Jay-Z, Damon Dash and other members of the Roc-A-Fella crew were present at the James A Byrne US Federal District Courthouse in Philadelphia on Friday (October 8) to support the rapper.
Sigel could have faced up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to the charge back in April. Fortunato Perri Jr, his defence attorney, argued against the strength of the evidence and the judge reduced the sentence suggested by federal guidelines.
The star – real name Dwight Grant – was also allowed to surrender for his prison term within 30 days. After his sentence, Sigel will spend two years on supervised probation.
Sigel spent the last five days before his sentencing shooting five music videos, knowing that he would most likely be facing jail time.
Speaking to MTV News on set on Thursday (October 7), he admitted that he accepted he would spend time behind bars: “I’m prepared for it mentally, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. I ain’t stressin’. I ain’t laying back in the house, you know, laying back, eatin’ all crazy, goin’ through it. I’m good. I know what the situation is. I know what the outcome could be. I’m really prepared for whatever happens.”
Sigel is due to face another trial in January for attempted murder, relating to an incident in July 2003 outside a Philadelphia bar.
The case is being retried after the first ended in a hung jury in April. The star is also facing an assault charge in which he is accused of punching a 53-year-old man in the face in January 2003. A trial date is pending.