Brooklyn hip-hop artist Pop Smoke faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly stealing a $375,000 Rolls Royce and transporting it from California to Canarsie, where authorities allegedly found the luxury ride parked in his mother’s driveway.
The rapper, whose hit song “Welcome to the Party” swept the charts last summer, was arraigned before Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ramon Reyes on charges including interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle on Jan. 17, where he issued a “not guilty” response to the felony indictment.
The defendant, whose real name is Bashar Jackson, allegedly borrowed the 2019 Rolls Royce Wraith for a music video in California in November. He said he’d return the car the following day, only to transport it on a flatbed truck to New York City, TMZ reported.
Officials arrested the 20-year-old rapper on Friday morning, and charged him with “interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle” — a federal offense that can carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, authorities said.
Judge Reyes released Jackson on $250,000 bond, which the rapper secured using with his mother’s Canarsie house as collateral, according to defense attorney Mark Cohen.
Prosecutors argued against releasing Jackson on bond, claiming that his frequent travel, extensive resources, alternate names, and suspected involvement in the 823 G Stone Crips gang make him a flight risk, US attorney Gillian Kassner said.
But defenders were apparently able to satisfy the judge that Jackson would comply with spontaneous house inspections and drug testing, and would only receive his passport one day before taking an international trip with government approval. Jackson also agreed to avoid contact with any known gang members and the owner of the Rolls Royce.
