Boosie Badazz is facing a potential two-year federal prison sentence after prosecutors formally recommended 24 months behind bars in his ongoing gun case, even as the Baton Rouge rapper publicly urges Donald Trump to grant him a presidential pardon ahead of his sentencing in San Diego federal court on Friday, January 9. According to court filings cited by Rolling Stone and summarized by multiple outlets, prosecutors are asking a judge to impose prison time for Boosie, born Torence Hatch, after he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.[1][2]
The case stems from a June 2023 incident in San Diego, where police reportedly identified Boosie with a firearm on Instagram Live before stopping a vehicle he was riding in and recovering two loaded 9mm handguns.[1][2][3] Prosecutors say DNA evidence linked the weapons to the 42-year-old rapper, who is legally barred from possessing guns due to his prior felony record.[2][3] After an initial indictment was dismissed on procedural grounds, a second indictment was filed in July 2024, and Boosie ultimately accepted a plea deal in August 2025, pleading guilty to one federal count while a second firearm charge was dismissed.[1][2][3]
In their sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors in San Diego recommended a sentence of 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a term they argue appropriately reflects Boosie’s “extensive criminal history,” which includes prior convictions related to assault, firearms, drug offenses, and resisting arrest.[1][2][3] However, they also acknowledged mitigating factors, including his decision to plead guilty, his difficult upbringing marked by domestic violence and his father’s death, and the nonviolent nature of the offense, which involved no identified victims.[2][3] Federal probation officials had reportedly suggested an even longer term of up to 46 months, according to the government’s filing.[2]
Boosie’s legal team, led by attorney Meghan Blanco, is pushing in the opposite direction, asking the court to impose no prison time and instead sentence him to two years of structured probation and 300 hours of community service.[1][2][3] In their memo, they argue the conduct was an isolated lapse in judgment after roughly a decade without criminal activity, and note that Boosie has remained employed and continued supporting his family throughout the case.[2][3] His filing also states he was carrying a firearm for personal protection after previously being shot in Texas, which allegedly heightened his concerns for safety.[2][3]
Outside the courtroom, Boosie is mounting a high-profile campaign for clemency. According to AllHipHop, he has hired Washington, D.C. lobbying firm J.M. Burkman & Associates to petition Donald Trump for a presidential pardon and has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to ask the former president to “CHECK MY CASE OUT,” arguing that his state case was dismissed before federal authorities refiled charges.[1] Trump has a track record of granting clemency to rappers on federal gun and related charges, including a full pardon for Lil Wayne and commutations for Kodak Black and NBA YoungBoy in January 2021, a history Boosie’s team is reportedly hoping to tap into.[1]
As Boosie Badazz awaits his sentencing, the outcome will carry heavy implications for his career, family, and ongoing standing in hip-hop culture. A two-year sentence would interrupt the run of music and media appearances he has maintained while fighting the case, while a probationary sentence or potential pardon could position him as the latest high-profile artist to navigate — and possibly overcome — federal gun scrutiny in the public eye.[1][2][3]
