6ix9ine Sentenced to Home Detention After Florida Mall Assault Admission

Rapper 6ix9ine speaks during a taping of the “One Night with Steiny” podcast, where he addressed stigma and trauma tied to his past cooperation with federal investigators. (Screengrab via YouTube/"One Night with Steiny")

6ix9ine was ordered into home detention Thursday after admitting in federal court that he punched a man during a confrontation at a Florida mall. The Brooklyn rapper — born Daniel Hernandez — told Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, “Me and another individual hit a person, and I was wrong.”

Prosecutors said the Aug. 8 assault in Palm Beach County was sparked when the man taunted him about cooperating with federal investigators in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Rebold warned the court that this was the third time in a year Hernandez had violated supervised release, describing what he called a troubling lack of impulse control.

Judge Engelmayer, who previously sentenced Hernandez to two years in prison in the racketeering case, said repeated violations could soon end leniency. This time, he imposed electronic monitoring and home detention in Florida, making clear that the rapper’s “serial pattern” of violations will weigh heavily in any future hearing.

The sanction follows earlier admissions that cocaine and MDMA were found in Hernandez’s Florida home, as well as past penalties for unauthorized travel and missed drug tests. In November 2024, he spent 45 days in custody after what the judge called a pattern of absconding and defiance.

Hernandez addressed some of these issues in a recent appearance on the podcast " One Night with Steiny." He said taunts about being a “snitch” still feel like threats, insisting, “Putting me in jail is not going to teach me a lesson.” He spoke about the trauma of being kidnapped by former associates and argued that Latino rappers face narrower lanes in hip-hop: “When you’re Spanish, there’s no space for you in the rap game.”

 

The rapper’s legal turmoil comes against the backdrop of a once-blazing career. His 2017 breakout “Gummo” became a viral hit. “FEFE,” with Nicki Minaj, reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, and his 2018 album "Dummy Boy" bowed at No. 2 despite an early leak. But the racketeering plea and testimony against Nine Trey members recast him from chart star to lightning rod.

Hernandez also recently mourned the death of Ariela “La Langosta,” a Dominican influencer close to his circle, calling her a “tremendous woman” and “queen of New York.” The loss underscored the turbulence of a life lived partly in courtrooms and partly online.

For now, home detention keeps him out of prison. But with his record of repeat violations, the question is no longer whether 6ix9ine can top charts again — it’s whether he can keep his freedom long enough to try.

6ix9ine: Highs and Lows

Career Highs 2017: Breakout with “Gummo,” a viral hit that launched him to national attention 2018: “FEFE” with Nicki Minaj peaks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 2018: Dummy Boy debuts at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 2020: Post-prison single “Gooba” sets a first-day YouTube record for a rap debut

Legal Lows 2015: Pleads guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance; sentenced to probation 2018: Arrested in racketeering conspiracy with Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods 2019: Testifies against gang members; sentenced to two years in prison 2023–2024: Supervised-release violations: drug possession, missed tests, unauthorized travel Aug. 2025: Admits assault at Florida mall; ordered to home detention with ankle monitor

His chart success and courtroom trouble have risen in parallel — each new hit matched by another legal fight.