LAS VEGAS — A federal judge has sentenced Phillip “Philthy Rich” Beasley to a two-year probation term, rejecting arguments by the U.S. Attorney’s office that the well-known Oakland rapper deserved 30 months behind bars for illegally acquiring guns in 2021.
Beasley, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge earlier this year, walked out of court a free man Wednesday morning after a hearing before U.S. District Judge James Mahan. In court filings, Beasley’s attorneys argued that he wanted a firearm for “self-protection” but that the Las Vegas and Oakland communities were better-served with Beasley out of custody, pointing to his anti-violence advocacy and involvement in charity events.
“We’re very gratified that the judge recognized the many contributions that Mr. Beasley has made to the community and the fact that he has remained trouble-free over the two-and-a-half years since this event occurred,” his attorney David Chesnoff, said in an interview after the court hearing.
Beasley was charged in 2021 with using co-defendant Jasmine Garcia to buy three guns from the Precision Armory in Las Vegas, knowing that he wasn’t allowed to possess a firearm due to a prior conviction. Garcia accepted a plea deal for a sentence of “time served,” meaning she will receive no additional jail time, but prosecutors said they intended to seek a two-and-a-half-year prison term for Beasley.
“Beasley is no stranger to the criminal justice system. He has two prior felony convictions and four misdemeanor convictions including drug, firearm, and domestic violence offenses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Frierson wrote in a sentencing memo. “Yet despite his persistent criminal conduct, Beasley has been repeatedly awarded lenient sentences.”
Beasley’s sentencing memo, which argued for no jail time, contained at least a dozen support letters, including from a former Vallejo schools superintendent, a longtime manager of the Bay Area rapper Jacka, and Stanley Cox, aka Mistah F.A.B., an Oakland rapper who is also well-known as a community leader.
“(Beasley) is dedicated to his dreams and passions, and he’s developed a name for himself through sheer hard work,” Cox wrote. “However, it is not the music career that represents him the best. Rather, it is his unwavering promise and commitment to his community.”
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