Federal Prosecutors Seek Two-Year Prison Sentence For Boosie In San Diego Gun Case

Federal prosecutors in San Diego are recommending that rapper Boosie Badazz, born Torrence Hatch Jr., serve a two-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge tied to a 2023 arrest. The sentencing recommendation comes as part of a plea deal that also resolved additional gun-related charges. 

The case stems from a May 2023 incident in San Diego, when law enforcement found firearms in a vehicle Boosie was associated with while he was in town for a music video shoot and performance. Surveillance tied the rapper to the weapon after a social media video showed him with a gun in his waistband, leading to his arrest on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Because Boosie has prior felony convictions, federal law bars him from possessing firearms. 

Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop a second firearms charge in exchange for Boosie’s guilty plea to the primary count. In recommending a two-year sentence, federal attorneys also proposed three years of supervised release to follow his prison term.

Boosie faces a formal sentencing hearing in November, when a federal judge in Southern California will decide whether to accept the prosecutors’ recommendation. The plea deal significantly reduces the potential exposure he once faced, as the original indictment carried a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison and substantial fines. 

While his legal team worked to negotiate the deal, the case has attracted attention not only for its legal implications but for Boosie’s public pushback. The rapper has repeatedly taken to social media throughout the process, at one point even making a public plea for a presidential pardon. 

As matters currently stand, the two-year recommendation marks a pivotal moment in the San Diego gun case, one that could reshape Hatch’s immediate future depending on the judge’s final decision next fall. The sentencing outcome will also be closely watched by his supporters and critics alike, reflecting broader debates about gun laws, celebrity legal battles, and the federal justice system’s handling of firearm offenses.