Fetty Wap Arrested on Federal Drug Charges at Rolling Loud New York

Fetty Wap was arrested by FBI agents on federal drug charges at New York’s Citi Field — the site of this weekend’s Rolling Loud Festival — Thursday afternoon, Oct. 28.

A law enforcement source confirmed the rapper, born William Junior Maxwell II, will be arraigned later today, Oct. 29, at a Central Islip federal court. According to an indictment obtained by Rolling Stone, Maxwell was one of six people charged with conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and substances containing cocaine. The five other men involved (correction officer Anthony Leonardi, Robert Leonardi, Brian Sullivan, Anthony Cyntje and Kavaughn Wiggins), were also charged with using firearms in connection with drug trafficking. 

The indictment claims that, from about June 2019 through June 2020, the defendants distributed over 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey. The narcotics were allegedly obtained on the West Coast and both the U.S. Postal Service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments were allegedly used to transport the substances to Long Island, where they were stored and eventually distributed to lower-level dealers.

Search warrants reportedly resulted in the recovery of approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, “numerous” fentanyl pills and a variety of firearms and ammunition. If convicted the defendants will face a maximum of life in prison.

According to a statement from a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Maxwell was the last of the six people involved to be arrested. Sullivan was arrested on Sept. 30; the Leonardis and Cyntje were arrested Oct. 13; and Wiggins was arrested Oct. 27.

District Attorney Timothy Sini described the group as “wholesale drug dealers” and described the size of the operation as “enormous.” Sini said the investigation revealed that the group would “frequently use cutting agents to process just one of those kilograms of drugs into as many as four even before it was distributed to lower-level dealers.”

Breon Peace, a U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement, “As alleged, the defendants transported, distributed and sold more than 100 kilograms of deadly and addictive drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, on Long Island, deliberately contributing to the opioid epidemic that has devastated our communities and taken too many lives. We will continue to work nonstop with our law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods safe from the scourge of dangerous drugs and gun violence.”

Michael J. Driscoll, the FBI’s assistant director-in-charge, added, The pipeline of drugs in this investigation ran thousands of miles from the West Coast to the communities here in our area, contributing to the addiction and overdose epidemic we have seen time and time again tear people’s lives apart. The fact that we arrested a chart-topping rap artist and a corrections officer as part of the conspiracy illustrates just how vile the drug trade has become. I want to commend the work of our Long Island Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners for working day in and day out to get these deadly drugs off our streets.”

Fetty Wap was booked to perform Thursday at Rolling Loud, and was listed on the fest’s lineup. But according to social media, he did not appear onstage for his scheduled set.

Fetty Wap rose to prominence in 2015 with his massive hit “Trap Queen,” which he followed with two other succesful singles, “679” and “My Way” (the latter featuring Drake). In the years since his breakout, Fetty Wap has released a number of mixtapes, most recently dropping The Butterfly Effect, which is a tribute to his four-year-old daughter, who died in June.

Over the course of his career, however, Fetty Wap, has faced multiple legal issues. In September 2019, he was at the center of an incident in Las Vegas, where he allegedly assaulted three hotel employees. He was charged with three counts of battery, although the majority of the charges were later dropped in exchange for completing 75 hours of community service.

Fetty Wap was also previously arrested in November of 2017 and charged with driving under the influence after police say he was caught drag racing in New York City.