Taxstone‘s has been sentenced in the case of the 2016 shooting of Troy Ave’s bodyguard Banga.
Reporter Shawn Setaro was present at the New York courthouse for the former podcast host’s sentencing on Tuesday (June 20). In a series of tweets, Setaro confirmed Tax Stone received 35 years behind bars for his role in Banga’s death.
He also added that Tax called Troy Ave a liar on his way out.
“#Taxstone gave a defiant statement during the hearing,” Setaro added. “His final words were, ‘Half the stuff that was told on the stand by Troy Ave is a complete lie to protect himself from going to jail.’ The judge was absolutely clear in stating his belief that during the trial, #Taxstone was ‘obviously’ engaged in ‘the procurement of false testimony.’
In March, Taxstone was found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting, which went down at New York City’s Irving Plaza amid a T.I. concert in 2016.
Troy Ave was set to perform at the event when a fight broke out between both camps, and gunfire was exchanged. In addition to Banga (real name Ronald McPhatter,) the melee resulted in three other people being seriously injured, including Troy Ave, who received treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg.
Surveillance video emerged immediately after the shooting showed Troy Ave firing a gun. He was apprehended and cuffed at NYU Langone Hospital, where he was receiving treatment for his gunshot wound. Later, the weapon used in the shooting was recovered in his vehicle. However, Troy maintained his innocence, claiming self-defense.
In January 2017, Taxstone was arrested in connection to the incident and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of receipt of a firearm in interstate commerce, after his DNA was reportedly found on the semiautomatic handgun used in the fatal shooting.
Ahead of Troy Ave’s testimony, the former Loud Speakers Network podcast host claimed that the rapper was a “lying bozo” and couldn’t wait to see him take the stand.
In March, Ave dropped a diss song aimed at his longtime rival. Billed as a “Taxstone Diss,” “Black Church” finds Troy reflecting on his life and what he plans on doing now that he has taken the stand.
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