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A lawsuit against rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has reportedly been filed by two individuals over an April 2018 incident in which they were robbed at gunpoint in the foyer of a Manhattan office building.
Tekashi – real name Daniel Hernandez – had already admitted to his involvement in the crime as part of his plea deal with US authorities last year. The rapper is believed to have filmed the incident from an SUV outside the building, while his Nine Trey Bloods associates carried out the robbery.
The lawsuit was filed by Seketha Wonzer (known professionally as Skyy L. Daniels) and Kevin Dozier, who are seeking compensation for assault, battery and emotional distress, TMZ reports. According to Pitchfork, the pair are also suing for two counts of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
According to the lawsuit, the robbery was a result of “mistaken identity”. Hernandez and his associates allegedly believed Wonzer and Dozier to be affiliates of the label Rap-A-Lot Records, which the lawsuit claims is not the case.
“During the armed robbery, the assailants yelled at Plaintiffs ‘fuck Rap-A-Lot,’ apparently referring to a purported rival Organization, Rap-A-Lot Records,” the suit claims.
In a statement given to Pitchfork, Wonzer and Dozier’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, claimed that because Hernandez had already admitted to his crimes, his “civil liability is beyond dispute”.
“If Tekashi69 thought his legal problems were over after pleading guilty to brutally assaulting my clients, he was woefully mistaken,” Tacopina commented.
“All that awaits to be seen is how sincere Tekashi69 was when he cooperated with prosecutors and claimed to accept responsibility for his wrongdoing.”
A legal representative for Tekashi 6ix9ine told Pitchfork that “We will defend this lawsuit vigorously.”
The rapper was released from prison earlier this year, having served a 24-month sentence after pleading guilty to nine charges including conspiracy and attempted murder.
In October this year, Hernandez was sued for “child sexual assault, child sexual abuse and infliction of emotional distress”, stemming from an underage sex video made by the rapper in 2015. Hernandez had previously been sentenced to four years’ probation in October 2018, after pleading guilty to the use of a child in a sexual performance, with the act caught on camera.
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