Cardi B Sentenced After Pleading Guilty To Two Misdemeanors
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Cardi B has been sentenced to over two weeks of community service after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors on Thursday (Sept. 15) in a Queens, N.Y. court. The 29-year-old rapper, born Belcalis Almanzar, was originally indicted on two felonies and 12 charges, including harassment, criminal solicitation, and conspiracy. The Bronx sensation has faced one count of third-degree assault and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, for two separate incidents at Angels Strip Club in 2018. The other 10 counts were dismissed.
Almanzar admitted to orchestrating and participating in the attacks on two employees of the establishment located in Flushing, N.Y. The Bronx star offered $5,000 to an associate on Instagram to assist her in confronting the nightclub bartenders. According to authorities, the victims (who are also sisters) were allegedly romantically involved with Cardi’s husband and Migos member Offset.
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After prosecutors reached the decision, Cardi B agreed to a sentence of 15 days of community service, paired with a three-year order of protection for the victims. “Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions,” she expressed in a statement delivered by a representative at the hearing. “As a mother, it’s a practice that I am trying to instill in my children, but the example starts with me.”
She added, “I’ve made some bad decisions in my past that I am not afraid to face and own up to. These moments don’t define me, and they are not reflective of who I am now. I’m looking forward to moving past this situation with my family and friends and getting back to the things I love the most — the music and my fans.”
According to The New York Times, prosecutors said that on two separate nights in August 2018, the former stripper-turned-rapper arrived at the Angels nightclub after 3 a.m. with her accomplices. During the first incident, the group attacked a victim while she was bartending – pulling her hair, punching her, and slamming her head into the bar. Per reports, two weeks later, the group returned and threw alcohol and bottles at the first victim’s sister, another bartender.
Cardi B was joined in court by her lawyers, including Drew Findling who is also set to defend former President Donald J. Trump in an upcoming trial. Findling is also known as the #BillionDollarLawyer of many rappers.
On the court steps, Findling stated, “We’re talking about a life of being happily married with two beautiful children. There are too many things that she has planned for her family, for her career, and for the community. She just felt quite honestly that a three-week jury trial was going to be a distraction.”
Melinda Katz, the Queens, N.Y. district attorney, said in a statement: “No one is above the law. In pleading guilty today, Ms. Belcalis Almanzar and two co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their actions.”
