TAMPA, Fla. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Grammy-winning reggae singer Buju Banton to 10 years in prison, the lowest sentence legally allowed for his role in a large cocaine- trafficking deal in 2009.
The 38-year-old Jamaican recording artist got a break when U.S. District Judge James Moody threw out a gun conviction, which would have added five years to the minimum sentence. Banton’s attorney, David Markus, said that with time already served and good behavior, Banton could be out in six years.
In a statement he wrote after the sentencing, Banton — whose given name is Mark Myrie — thanked family, fans and supporters who flooded the court file with letters of support.
“The days that lie ahead are filled with despair, but I have courage and grace and I’m hopeful, and that is sufficient to carry me through,” he said in the statement, which was read by Markus. The Associated Press
