The legally embattled New Orleans bounce rapper (born Freddie Ross Jr.) pleaded guilty to accepting almost $35,000 in Section 8 housing vouchers that she wasn’t entitled to, and she faced up to 10 years in prison for what amounted to government theft.
Advertisement
However, according to new reports, Freedia went into the U.S. District Court yesterday for sentencing and U.S. District Judge Lance Africk made a decision to go easy on Freedia and sentenced her to probation for three years, ordered her to pay a $35,000 fine and then sternly warned her not to relapse on her substance abuse.
According to court documents, Freedia applied for Section 8 benefits in March 2009, listing his monthly income between $100 and $1,000. In March, the bounce artist and reality-TV star pleaded guilty to the crime, misrepresenting her income for five years.
Freedia faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as having to pay back the value of the stolen vouchers. Had she done so, the government would have determined she earned too much money from her work as a musician under the stage name “Big Freedia” to remain eligible for the vouchers. The following year, she claimed she made $14,400 and, in 2013 and 2014, she said she made only $12,000; she said she received a one-time gift from her father in 2013.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg said the government did not object to Big Freedia receiving a relatively lenient sentence under the guidelines.
Despite the judge’s grace, she warned Freedia to tread lightly.
Advertisement
Prosecutors say if Freedia had reported his income accurately, he would have been disqualified from the program.
