Rapper Boosie Badazz was sentenced to time served, three years of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine for federal firearm possession charges—lighter than prosecutors' two-year recommendation—in San Diego court on January 9, 2026.
Boosie Badazz, real name Torence Hatch, appeared before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo on January 9, 2026, for sentencing after pleading guilty in August 2025 to possessing a firearm as a felon. The charge originated from a June 2023 traffic stop in a gang-associated San Diego neighborhood, where police, monitoring a known gang member's Instagram feed, spotted a handgun in Boosie's waistband, tracked his vehicle by helicopter, and recovered a matching Glock pistol.
Prohibited from owning guns due to prior felonies, including 2011 drug convictions, Boosie took the plea deal to "get on with my life" after years of proceedings. Prosecutors sought two years in prison, pointing to his difficult upbringing as a contributing factor, while his lawyers called it a "serious but isolated lapse in judgment" without victims or harm.
The judge granted leniency. In a video statement afterward, Boosie expressed relief: “I’m blessed not to be in prison right now... I’m just grateful right now.” He aims to restart touring and projects stalled by the case and has hired lobbyists toward securing a pardon from President Donald Trump: “Praying for a pardon now, you know.”
