Dancehall artiste Andrae “Squash” Whittaker was today sentenced in a Miami federal court to two years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm while living in the United States illegally.
Whittaker, a native of Salt Spring in Montego Bay, was arrested earlier this year during a police stop in Miami, where officers reportedly found a firearm inside the vehicle he was travelling in. According to police, the weapon had been altered with a switch commonly referred to in Jamaica as a “chip glock.”
After his arrest, Squash was handed over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and later entered a plea agreement, admitting to the firearm offence as an undocumented immigrant.
Throughout the proceedings, his legal team strongly rejected claims suggesting he was the leader of an organised criminal gang, a label that surfaced during the case.
Today’s sentencing concludes months of legal battles following his February arrest. Squash, known for hits such as Big Breeze and Shub Out, migrated from Jamaica several years ago but had been residing in the US without proper documentation.
He will now begin serving his sentence in federal custody and is expected to face immigration-related consequences once his prison term ends.
His father, who is also in the United States, is reportedly being held by ICE as well.