The 55-year-old rapper — who was originally charged with first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery, and false imprisonment — faces up to 20 years in prison
Mystikal has entered a guilty plea for third-degree rape charges, according to the Guardian. In 2022, the rapper was arrested and later charged with first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery, and false imprisonment. The 55-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges at the time and was scheduled to begin trial on March 30.
The new guilty plea entered in the Ascension Parish court in Louisiana is the result of a deal that reduces the rapper’s potential sentence. While the original first-degree rape charge would have carried an automatic life sentence, Mystikal, born Michael Tyler, could face up to 20 years in prison for a third-degree rape conviction. His sentencing is scheduled for June.
Legal representatives for Tyler did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
In 2022, a woman alleged that Tyler sexually assaulted and held her against her will. During a hearing that August, Sheriff’s Detective Garrett Keith testified that a female acquaintance of Tyler’s visited his home on the evening of July 30 to discuss an alleged financial agreement. Keith testified that the woman reported an abrupt change in Tyler’s behavior, stating that he became violent before allegedly sexually assaulting her. Tyler has been held without bond since his arrest, given his previous criminal history.
Tyler is a lifetime registered sex offender. He was previously convicted of sexual battery after assaulting his hairstylist in 2003. He spent six years in prison for the offense before being released in 2010. Seven years later, he faced another sexual assault case that also carried charges of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping. Tyler spent nearly 18 months in jail for that case before posting a $3 million bond. The charges were ultimately dismissed by a grand jury in December 2020 due to the discovery of additional evidence.
