Lil Zay Osama entered a guilty plea in his federal gun case back in May of 2024, and he finally learned what his prison sentence will be. According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office in New York’s Eastern District this week, reportedly obtained by Complex, the court sentenced Zay Osama – real name Isaiah Dukes – to 14 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. For those unaware, his case revolves around a modified firearm that he left in an Uber.
“Today’s sentence serves as a warning that those who possess illegal guns, particularly with switches that convert those guns into machine guns, will be held accountable for their actions and for the danger they pose to our community,” United States Attorney Breon Peace reportedly stated in the press release about Lil Zay Osama’s sentence. According to police, the 27-year-old rapper left a loaded Glock 22.40 caliber pistol with a “switch” (that lets the gun fire more than one bullet with just one trigger press) in an Uber. He was in Queens at the time to record in the studio following a Manhattan hotel visit. The driver saw Dukes holding his weapon and noticed it was still there when he left, and reported this to law enforcement.
Lil Zay Osama At BET Awards 2022 After Party
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: (EDITOR NOTE: A star lens filter was used in this image.) Rapper Lil Zay Osama attends Atlantic records BET Awards 2022 After Party on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/Getty Images)
Lil Zay Osama’s arrest followed quickly after this, along with charges of possession of a machine gun and firearm possession as a person with a felony history. While he faced two decades behind bars, this 14-month sentence became good news in the grand scheme of things. “I knowingly possessed a firearm that was a machine gun in Queens County on Sept. 29, 2022,” the “How I Grew Up” artist expressed to Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl in court. “I know that it was wrong and against the law.”
Meanwhile, we’ll see if Lil Zay Osama continues to release music behind bars and if there are other relevant updates in this case. One of his last releases amid this arrest was the Mozzy collab “Ain’t On S**t.” Whether or not Dukes continues to connect with fans is a mystery, but this certainly could’ve been a much worse situation for him.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case.
Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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