Lil Zay Osama Admits to Possession of Machine Gun Charge After Federal Grand Jury Indictment

In January, Osama was indicted in connection with a 2022 incident involving a gun he allegedly left in a rideshare vehicle.

Artist performs on stage in a hoodie and beanie, holding a microphone
Image via Getty/Prince Williams/Wireimage
Artist performs on stage in a hoodie and beanie, holding a microphone

Lil Zay Osama has pleaded guilty to a possession of a machine gun charge in connection with a 2022 incident involving a loaded weapon being left in a rideshare vehicle.

Thursday, per a report from the New York Daily News, Osama entered a guilty plea during a court appearance in Brooklyn.

"I knowingly possessed a firearm that was a machine gun in Queens County on Sept. 29, 2022," the "Go" artist told Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl. "I know that it was wrong and against the law."

Online jail records listed Osama, 26, as an inmate at MDC Brooklyn. As of this writing, his release date was listed as "unknown." Complex has reached out to a rep for Osama for comment. This story may be updated.

In January, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Osama, born Isaiah Dukes, with possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm. At the time, it was noted that Osama was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars if convicted on all charges. On its own, the machine gun charge for which Osama pleaded guilty on Thursday is said to have a 10-year max, though the actual sentence is expected to be much lower.

In September 2022, Osama is alleged to have carried a loaded Glock "affixed with a switch" that made the gun fully automatic; per police, the firearm in question’s ability to "fire more than one round with a single function of the trigger" meant that it should be considered a machine gun. Osama was arrested after allegedly leaving the gun in a rideshare vehicle following a trip from a Manhattan hotel to a Queens recording studio.

In a filing in April, prosecutors argued that Osama should be detained, claiming that he was a flight risk and "a danger to the community." The government also pointed to other firearm-related allegations against Osama, including a December arrest in the Chicago area.

That same month, Osama shared his Hood Bible 2 project, featuring the single "Go" with BabyDrill. The track recently received an official animated video, as seen below.

View this video on YouTube

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