Rapper 42 Dugg Sentenced To Federal Prison

Detroit rapper 42 Dugg, whose real name is Dion Hayes, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for failing to surrender in a previous gun case. The 28-year-old rapper was spared the maximum sentence of five years but received a longer sentence than the six months recommended by prosecutors and his lawyer. In addition to prison time, he must also serve three years of supervised release, pay a $20,000 fine, and avoid using drugs illegally.

Hayes has had several legal problems, including a series of arrests and criminal charges. Despite his success during the pandemic, he has struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues. His criminal history dates back to 2010, when he was convicted of carjacking and felony firearms possession.

Hayes has been in an Atlanta prison for about a year since being arrested after flying to Willow Run Airport from Memphis, where he attended a National Basketball Association playoff game. He was a protégé of rapper Yo Gotti and collaborated on Lil Baby’s tracks “We Paid” and “Grace.” His mixtape “Free Dem Boyz” debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 in May 2021, selling 32,000 units.

Hayes’ current legal problems began in November 2019 when agents received a tip that he had fired a weapon inside Stoddard’s Range and Guns in Atlanta. Hayes was arrested in March 2020 and charged with felony firearm possession.

While free on bond, Hayes settled in suburban Atlanta and bought a $1.4 million home. He was sentenced in November 2021 to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $90,000 fine for illegally possessing a firearm. However, after repeatedly testing positive for opiates and being arrested in Las Vegas, he was sentenced to six months in a federal prison camp. Hayes failed to report to the camp in Welch, West Virginia, in April 2022. Despite a manhunt involving a secret spy gadget, drugs, and piles of cash, Hayes managed to elude authorities for a time. He was eventually caught at the airport in Detroit, where he had $25,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in jewelry.