Latin Music Exec Raphy Pina Ought to Get Harsher Jail Sentence, Prosecutors Say

Federal prosecutors are demanding a tougher-than-usual jail sentence for Raphy Pina on his unlawful firearms conviction, citing his prior felony conviction and the “carnage” that may be brought on by automated weapons.

With sentencing looming subsequent month in Puerto Rico over Pina’s December conviction, either side are within the means of asking the choose for what they suppose is an applicable sentence. Pina, who manages Daddy Yankee, can be gearing as much as attraction the decision, which might overturn the conviction altogether.

Sentencing pointers say Pina ought to face 33 to 41 months, however in a Tuesday court docket submitting, prosecutors requested for a steeper vary of 46 to 50 months. To justify the request, they pointed to the truth that Pina was beforehand convicted of one other felony in 2016, and that he had been caught with a modified automated Glock handgun that was “uniquely harmful to the general public.”

“Regardless of having a profitable profession, the sources be a productive law-abiding citizen, and assuring the court docket he would comply with the legislation, Pina selected to illegally possess firearms, and a machine gun as well,” the feds wrote, saying such weapons had precipitated “carnage” in Puerto Rico.

Pina will file his personal sentencing memorandum within the weeks forward, the place he’ll doubtless argue for a far shorter sentence. A sentencing listening to is scheduled for Might 16 in San Juan federal court docket. Pina’s legal professional and a spokesperson declined to touch upon the federal government’s request, citing the pending proceedings.

Pina was indicted in August 2020, accused of possessing two handguns and a whole lot of rounds of ammunition even if he was barred from doing so due to his 2016 conviction (on federal fraud and cash laundering prices). In December, he was convicted of 1 depend of possession of an automated weapon and one other depend of possession of firearms by an individual convicted of a felony.

Although he hasn’t but filed his attraction, attorneys for Pina hinted final month at how they may search to overturn his conviction: “Trial of this case was rendered basically unfair by numerous grave errors, a few of them of constitutional magnitude,” Pina’s attorneys wrote within the March submitting.

Extra particularly, they stated the choose unfairly allowed inadmissible proof into the case, and in addition violated his rights beneath the Fifth and Sixth Amendments by refusing to permit a protection witness that they are saying might have testified that Pina largely lived in Miami when the alleged crimes happened.

However earlier than such an attraction is filed, Pina will face sentencing on the Might 16 listening to. In Thursday’s submitting urging the harsher sentence, prosecutors quoted from the transcript from his 2016 sentencing, during which he reportedly instructed a choose “there won’t be a subsequent time.”

“Pina, who was a convicted felon on the time he was indicted on this case, had obtained a below-guidelines sentence for his first federal conviction, and that clearly failed to discourage additional criminality,” the prosecutors wrote.