Ja Rule was released from a New York prison on Tuesday (May 7) after serving almost two years on an illegal gun possession and federal tax evasion charges. It was good news for Rule, 36, (born Jeffrey Atkins), who is finally able to see some light at the end of a long legal tunnel.
“My client Jeffrey Atkins aka Ja Rule was released this morning from the Raybrook Correctional Facility in Upstate New York to serve out his federal time obligation due under the terms set forth in accordance with home confinement which were secured by his attorney Stacy Richman,” said spokesperson Melanie A. Bonvicino in a statement. “At present, he looks forward to spending some time with his family while he completes his memoir.”
Rule walked out of Ray Brook and was driven home, where he will be on monitored home confinement until July 28. He served 20 months on a gun possession charge after pleading guilty in 2010 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He was later sentenced to 28 months on a tax evasion charge after he failed to pay taxes in New Jersey on more than $3 million in income from 2004-2006.
While he earned good time behind bars on the gun charge, at the end of that sentence he still owed some time on his federal tax case. He will be allowed to serve the rest of that time at his home. During home conferment, Rule will be monitored by authorities and with proper permission, will be allowed to leave in order to go to the recording studio and resume other professional duties as a performer.
With $1.1 million owed in back taxes, Rule, who began his first prison term on the gun charge in June 2011, is eager to get back to work and release new music. He pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge in 2010 after New York City police said they found a loaded. 40-caliber handgun inside his car during a traffic stop.
He was welcomed home by rapper N.O.R.E., who tweeted, “Just spoke to @Ruleyork everybody tell him welcome home!!!”
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