NEW YORK — Rapper Lil' Kim was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Judge Gerard Lynch at Manhattan's U.S. District Court Wednesday afternoon. The rapper was also fined $50,000, and must turn herself in to authorities on September 19.
Hip-hop's Queen Bee — a nickname bestowed on the diminutive rapper by her ex-boyfriend, the late Notorious B.I.G. — was facing up to 20 years in prison, but as expected, Lynch's sentence was less severe (see "Lil' Kim Won't Get Maximum Sentence, Expert Predicts"). Kim reportedly wept and clutched a Bible before the judge read her sentence.
Kim (born Kimberly Jones) was convicted on March 17 of perjury and conspiracy for lying to investigators and a federal grand jury about her involvement in a shooting four years ago at New York hip-hop station Hot 97. During her criminal trial, Jones claimed she had no knowledge of what caused the February 25, 2001, gunfight in which one man was shot in the back (see "Lil' Kim Pleads Not Guilty, Released On $500,000 Bail" 1486382). Kim's assistant, Monique Dopwell, was also convicted on perjury charges.
Kim maintained throughout the trial that Damion Butler, one of her co-managers at the time of the incident, was not by her side when shots rang out in front of the radio station; security-camera footage later proved he was — a direct contradiction of what she'd told a federal grand jury (see " Lil' Kim Found Guilty Of Lying To Grand Jury, Investigators"). She also told the court she was unable to positively identify a photo of another man who was believed to be involved in the shooting; both that man — Suif "Gutta" Jackson, a member of her former group Junior M.A.F.I.A. — and Butler later confessed to firing on rap group Capone-N-Noreaga, and pleaded guilty to gun charges as part of a plea bargain (see "Lil' Kim's Bodyguard Sentenced To 12 Years For His Role In Shootout").
Other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A., including Antoine "Banger" Spain and James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd, took the stand during the trial, and testified for the prosecution that they, too, has witnessed Butler and Jackson with Jones at the time of the shooting (see "Lil' Cease Says He's No Snitch For Testifying Against Kim").