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SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — Louisiana-based rapper Torrence “Boosie” Hatch Jr. is set to be released on a $100,000 bond after his arrest in San Diego last month on firearm possession charges.
This comes after two federal judges denied prosecutors’ requests to keep the rapper in custody during hearings this week, allowing him to be released under certain conditions.
Hatch, 40, was first arrested by San Diego police on May 6 after a traffic stop in the Chollas View neighborhood in which authorities say officers recovered two loaded handguns in the vehicle.
Prosecutors say the arrest was initiated after a law enforcement officer viewed an Instagram livestream that showed a man with a black handgun tucked into the waistband of his pants while filming a music video in what appeared to be the backyard of a residence.
SDPD later identified the man as Hatch, court documents allege, prompting law enforcement to use a helicopter to track the vehicle he was riding in to allow officers to conduct the traffic stop.
The driver of the vehicle, Hatch’s bodyguard, was also arrested as a result of the stop, but was not charged in connection to the incident.
The firearm possession charge against Hatch was dropped by the state during a hearing earlier this month, according to court documents. However, he was arrested again on June 14 under a warrant from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
During hearings in the federal case this week, prosecutors claimed that Hatch poses a danger to the community, witnesses and evidence.
In a court document, the U.S. Attorney cited allegations that the rapper threatened his bodyguard for not claiming ownership of the guns while the two were in custody, reportedly telling him “you’re gonna’ be in a body bag.”
Another officer also allegedly overheard Hatch tell his security guard, “I got ten on your head” or “I got 10k on you.” The full filing from prosecutors requesting his release be revoked can be read here.
During this week’s hearings, one of Hatch’s attorneys, Meghan Blanco, contested the threat as reason to deny his bail, stating that none of the reports from officers involved in his arrest mentioned the alleged statements.
Blanco also said that Hatch did not represent a flight risk, as he was present in all court appearances in the state’s case against him.
U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo agreed with the defense, saying that, while she was concerned about the threats, did not believe Hatch to be a flight risk or pose a danger to the community.
The rapper pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, as it relates to a law prohibiting convicted felons of shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm in interstate commerce. His trial is set to begin on July 28.
He is eligible for release on the $100,000 bond, under conditions that he undergo regular drug testing, remain in the United States and and avoid all contact with his security guard.
Hatch has had previous run-ins with the law, according to Nexstar’s BRProud, including a five-year stint in a Louisiana prison before being released in March 2014.
Hatch, who has had multiple stage names over the years, is known for songs like “Wipe Me Down” and “Set It Off.”
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