Rapper Silentó receives MAJOR sentence after guilty plea in cousin's death
A 27-year-old Atlanta rapper was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of his cousin more than four years ago.
Silentó, whose full name is Ricky Lamar Hawke, was sentenced in DeKalb County Court in Decatur, Georgia in the January 2021 death of Frederick Rooks.
Silentó had been sentenced after he enter a guilty but mentally ill plea to firearm possession, aggravated assault and concealing one's death in connection with Rooks' death.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss a felony murder charge against the entertainer as part of a plea deal, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Silentó had been sentenced after he enter a guilty but mentally ill plea as part of a deal he hammered out with prosecutors, the newspaper reported.
Initially charged with malice murder, the musical artist wound up with a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.
Silentó also entered guilty pleas to firearm possession, aggravated assault and concealing one's death in connection with Rooks' death.
In the tragic case, prosecutors said that the lifeless body of the rapper's cousin was recovered in the Panthersville region of Georgia on the side of the road.
Official said that Rooks had suffered gunshots to his face and leg.
Local security cameras caught multiple vehicles leaving the area rapidly, according to police.
Relatives spoke about the tragedy following Wednesday sentencing in Georgia, the paper reported.
One told DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson, 'I'm sorry for both sides.'
Rooks' brother told the judge that they just wanted justice, the paper reported.
The victim's sister said she hopes Silento comes to understand the gravity of his actions during his three-decades in custody.
Silentó went viral with a dance single 10 years ago titled Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), which was closing in on nearly two billion YouTube views as of Wednesday.
Silentó had established a firm social media base amid his surge to fast fame, as his X account had more than 72,9000 followers under the handle @TheRealSilento .
His last tweet came in October of 2019, more than a year before the tragic incident that preceded Wednesday's sentence.
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