Police in New York have reported that Willie Maxwell, who is better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, was taken into custody on a raft of charges including driving while intoxicated during the early morning hours of Nov. 3. The 26-year-old rapper was allegedly driving his girlfriend’s Mercedes sedan and street racing in Kings County when he was pulled over. A Brooklyn arraignment judge released Wap on his own recognizance later in the day, but he warned the ‘My Way” singer that his decision could be revisited if he got behind the wheel again.
According to reports, Wap was observed traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph and weaving in and out of traffic in the Manhattan-bound lanes of the Gowanus Expressway at approximately 1:20 a.m. Police believe that he was racing against a Chevrolet driven by a friend at the time. After pulling Wap’s car over in the vicinity of Hamilton Avenue, officers say the rapper produced a suspended New Jersey driver’s license and told them that he was on his way to a nightclub in Brooklyn. A subsequent breath test is said to have revealed Wap’s blood alcohol level to be .09 percent.
In addition to counts of drunk driving and reckless endangerment, Wap has been charged with several motor vehicle violations. The driver of the Chevrolet is facing a similar list of charges. Before being taken into custody, Wap allegedly admitted to officers that he had consumed two drinks at a New Jersey club before getting behind the wheel.
Experienced defense attorneys would likely urge their clients to remain silent when questioned about criminal activities by police. Most drunk driving cases are settled through plea agreements, but attorneys could find it more difficult to negotiate a favorable outcome for their clients when prosecutors have been gifted evidence that they otherwise would not have obtained.
Source: N.Y. Daily News, Fetty Wap cuffed on DWI, drag racing charges in Brooklyn, Ellen Moynihan and Graham Rayman, Nov. 3, 2017
