Boosie Badazz is facing a pivotal moment in his long‑running legal saga as he heads into federal sentencing in San Diego on a felon‑in‑possession gun charge, with prosecutors seeking a **two‑year prison sentence** while the Baton Rouge rapper pushes for probation and simultaneously lobbies Donald Trump for a presidential pardon. According to court filings cited by Rolling Stone and summarized by outlets including AllHipHop and Face2Face Africa, federal prosecutors are recommending 24 months behind bars plus supervised release, while Boosie urges the court to impose zero prison time and instead give him structured probation and community service.[1][2][3]
The case stems from a 2023 incident in San Diego, where police stopped a vehicle Boosie was riding in after authorities had identified him on Instagram Live with a firearm, later recovering two loaded 9mm handguns from the car.[1][3] Prosecutors say DNA evidence allegedly linked the rapper, born **Torence Ivy Hatch Jr.**, to both weapons, and he ultimately pleaded guilty in August 2025 to a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm as part of a plea deal that led to a second firearms charge being dismissed.[1][3] State charges connected to the same incident were previously dismissed, but federal authorities chose to pursue the case given his status as a convicted felon and an “extensive criminal history,” including prior convictions for assault, drug trafficking, and illegal firearm possession, according to the government’s sentencing memo.[1][2][3]
Boosie’s legal team, led by attorney **Meghan Blanco**, is arguing that the offense was a “limited, nonviolent, and isolated” lapse in judgment after roughly a decade without criminal conduct, emphasizing that no gun was discharged, no one was injured, and no broader criminal scheme has been alleged.[2][3] His sentencing memo, as reported by Rolling Stone and relayed by Face2Face Africa and other outlets, frames his decision to carry a gun in California as a response to being a prior shooting victim in Texas, reportedly heightening his sense of vulnerability and personal safety.[2][3] Prosecutors themselves acknowledge mitigating factors such as Boosie’s guilty plea, difficult upbringing, and consistent employment, even as they maintain that a custodial sentence is warranted.[2][3]
Outside the courtroom, Boosie has taken the rare step of pairing his legal push for probation with a political play for clemency. According to AllHipHop, he retained Washington, D.C. lobbying firm J.M. Burkman & Associates to seek a **presidential pardon** from Donald Trump, while personally appealing to the former president on X (formerly Twitter) and claiming that his federal case proceeded even after state charges were dismissed.[1] The move follows Trump’s past clemency for artists like Lil Wayne and Kodak Black on similar federal gun cases, a history that Boosie’s camp is clearly aware of as they try to keep a veteran Southern rap career from being derailed by another prison term.[1] With prosecutors pressing for two years and the defense pushing for no prison at all, the sentencing outcome will carry major implications not only for Boosie’s freedom and future releases, but also for how the justice system treats high‑profile hip‑hop figures navigating gun laws, prior records, and personal security in the public eye.
