On Monday (June 3), another co-defendant in the 6ix9ine racketeering case pleaded guilty.
Kintea “Kooda B” McKenzie became the eighth (out of 11) defendant to plead guilty, Complex confirms. McKenzie reportedly pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering for his role in the June 2018 shooting involving fellow rapper Chief Keef.
According to the report, McKenzie allegedly accepted a $10,000 payment from 6ix9ine to shoot the Chicago native outside the W Hotel in Times Square. Earlier this year, 6ix9ine pleaded guilty to nine charges and admitted to orchestrating the attack. He also named McKenzie as the shooter. Although he is not believed to be a member of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, McKenzie faces up to 20 years behind bars.
“Today, Kintea McKenzie admitted his responsibility for a brazen shooting in bustling Times Square,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. According to Berman, McKenzie “arranged to have another individual shoot at a rival gang member” which was done “in coordination with Tekashi 6ix9ine and other Nine Trey gang members.”
He went on to say, “We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and to vigorously investigate acts of violence committed by gang members.”
McKenzie’s admission comes after his DNA was found on a piece of evidence left behind at the crime scene. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear, McKenzie’s DNA was found on a water bottle discarded from the suspect’s vehicle. After reviewing security footage from the shooting, authorities were able to track down the bottle and test it for verification.
Additionally, Longyear says he expects more guilty pleads from the other defendants. “We are engaged in active plea discussions with several of the defendants,” he revealed back in April. 6ix9ine (real name Daniel Hernandez) is set to be sentenced in January 2020. Meanwhile, five of the 11 defendants will receive sentencing in July and McKenzie’s sentencing is expected for Oct. 4, 2019.