Ja Rule

Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (Ja Rule)
Born:	February 29, 1976 Queens, New York
Charges:	Criminal possession of a weapon (state), Failure to file income tax returns (federal)
Sentence:	2 years (state), 28 months (federal, concurrent)
Facility:	Mid-State Correctional Facility (state), MDC Brooklyn (federal)
Status:	Released

Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), known professionally as Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor who spent roughly two years in prison on state weapons charges and a concurrent federal sentence for tax evasion between 2011 and 2013. The Grammy-nominated artist became famous in the early 2000s for hits like "Always on Time" and "Mesmerize." In June 2011, he was sentenced to two years in New York state prison after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon. Police had found a loaded .40-caliber handgun in his car during an earlier incident. While serving his state time, Ja Rule faced additional federal charges. He pleaded guilty to failing to file income tax returns on more than $3 million earned between 2004 and 2006. A federal judge sentenced him to 28 months, but that sentence ran at the same time as his state sentence. He was released from federal custody in May 2013 and returned to music, though his involvement in the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival brought unwanted attention back his way.

Summary

One of the more striking falls in hip-hop history. Ja Rule went from early 2000s royalty to a convicted felon serving time for weapons and tax charges. At his peak, he was massive in the music industry. Multiple platinum albums. Chart-topping singles that blended rap with R&B hooks. His collaborations with Ashanti and Jennifer Lopez basically defined what the era sounded like. By 2011, when he entered prison, his career had cratered, overshadowed by feuds with other rappers and shifts in what hip-hop fans wanted to hear.

The weapons charge went back to 2007, when New York City cops pulled over a car Ja Rule was in and found a loaded semiautomatic handgun. It took years for the case to wind through the courts. He finally pleaded guilty in 2010 and got two years in state prison. The tax situation was separate. Federal prosecutors in New Jersey charged him with not filing tax returns on massive earnings from his music career. That case landed him 28 months in federal prison, but since both sentences ran at the same time, it didn't add extra time behind bars.

After release, Ja Rule got back into music and entertainment. He never recovered his former commercial power, though. His involvement with the catastrophic 2017 Fyre Festival, which he co-founded with convicted fraudster Billy McFarland, put him back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He wasn't criminally charged in the festival's fraud case.

Background

Early Life and Rise to Fame

Jeffrey Bruce Atkins was born on February 29, 1976, in Queens, New York. The Hollis neighborhood where he grew up had already produced Run-DMC and LL Cool J, so hip-hop was in the air. He got involved in rap as a teenager, adopted the stage name "Ja Rule," and signed with Murder Inc. Records. That label started as a Def Jam subsidiary and was founded by Irv Gotti.

His 1999 debut album "Venni Vetti Vecci" went platinum and made him a significant new voice in hip-hop. The next two albums, "Rule 3:36" (2000) and "Pain Is Love" (2001), sold even better. He had a gravelly voice that worked perfectly over tracks blending hardcore rap with melodic R&B hooks. Songs like "Always on Time" (featuring Ashanti), "Mesmerize" (featuring Ashanti), and "I'm Real" (a remix with Jennifer Lopez) owned the radio and MTV.

In the early 2000s he was one of the biggest rappers on the planet. Grammy nominations came his way. He appeared in films. Then the feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit exploded across hip-hop. That very public war in the mid-2000s destroyed his commercial momentum and tanked his career trajectory.

Legal Troubles Begin

As his music career tanked, his legal problems got worse. Everything started on July 22, 2007, when New York City police pulled over a car where Ja Rule was a passenger. They found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun inside. He was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon.

Meanwhile, the IRS was investigating him for not filing income tax returns. He'd made millions during his peak years but didn't file required federal returns for multiple years. That pattern would eventually lead to criminal charges at the federal level.

Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing

State Weapons Case

The 2007 gun case moved slowly through New York courts. By October 2010, Ja Rule pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, a felony. The plea deal included a two-year prison sentence.

June 8, 2011 was sentencing day. Two years in New York state prison. He reported to Rikers Island and was then moved to the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York, a medium-security joint.

Federal Tax Evasion Case

While Ja Rule was dealing with the weapons charges, federal prosecutors in New Jersey were building their own case. In March 2011, he pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to failing to file income tax returns. The amount in question: more than $3 million he'd earned between 2004 and 2006 from performances, royalties, and other music income.

The federal sentencing came down on July 18, 2011, while he was already serving his state time. 28 months in federal prison for the tax charges. But here's the thing: the sentences ran concurrently, meaning he'd serve both at the same time rather than back to back. The judge also ordered him to pay $1.1 million in back taxes and serve one year of supervised release after getting out.

The judge wasn't interested in celebrity sympathy either. "Taxpayers do not have the luxury of deciding whether to comply with laws," the court said.

Prison Experience

Ja Rule spent most of his time at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in New York state custody. On February 21, 2013, he was released from state prison after serving about 20 months of his two-year sentence. Good behavior credits helped.

That wasn't the end, though. He went straight from state custody into federal custody to finish his 28-month federal sentence for tax evasion. Since the federal time ran at the same time as his state time, he had less than six months left. The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn was his next stop.

On May 7, 2013, he walked out of federal custody and went on home confinement to finish his federal sentence. Later he completed supervised release without incident.

Post-Release Career

Return to Music

After getting out, Ja Rule went back into the music game. New material came out. He performed at concerts and festivals. His early 2000s commercial peak never came back, but he kept a loyal crowd of fans and still performed his classic hits.

Fyre Festival Involvement

Then came 2017 and the Fyre Festival disaster. He co-founded it with Billy McFarland, a guy who'd later get convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in federal prison. The event was supposed to be this luxury music festival in the Bahamas. Instead, when people showed up, they found almost nothing. Bad food. Nowhere to stay. No entertainment. It fell apart spectacularly.

The feds didn't charge Ja Rule with fraud, but his reputation took a beating anyway. Civil lawsuits came his way. His story was that McFarland deceived him, that he didn't realize the whole thing was a scam. Netflix and Hulu both made documentaries about the mess, which meant the whole disaster got rehashed over and over, and Ja Rule's role in promoting it became part of the public record again.

Public Statements and Positions

Ja Rule has talked publicly about doing time and what it meant for his life. He's said he regrets the mistakes that sent him to prison. He's also used those experiences in his music and when doing interviews.

On the tax charges, he's admitted to not meeting his obligations. Still, he's complained about how the concurrent sentences extended his legal supervision even though they ran at the same time.

About Fyre, he's stuck to his guns: Billy McFarland fooled him. He says he's a victim here, not a conspirator. He feels bad for the people who got hurt, but he puts the blame squarely on McFarland.

Terminology

• Criminal Possession of a Weapon: A state crime involving the unlawful possession of firearms or other weapons.

• Failure to File: The federal crime of not submitting required income tax returns.

• Concurrent Sentence: Prison sentences that run at the same time, rather than consecutively (one after another).

• Supervised Release: A period of supervision following release from federal prison, during which the offender must comply with specified conditions.

See also

• Billy McFarland
• Fat Joe
• Prison Consultants

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did Ja Rule go to prison?

Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins) served time for two separate cases: attempted illegal gun possession and tax evasion for failing to pay taxes on approximately $3 million in income.

Q: How long was Ja Rule's sentence?

Ja Rule served approximately 28 months in prison, including time for the gun charge and tax evasion.

Q: Was Ja Rule involved in the Fyre Festival?

Yes, Ja Rule was a co-organizer of the infamous Fyre Festival alongside Billy McFarland, though he was not criminally charged in that case.

Q: Where did Ja Rule serve his sentence?

Ja Rule served his sentence at federal and state facilities for the gun and tax charges.

Q: Did Ja Rule continue his music career after prison?

Yes, Ja Rule has continued to perform and remain active in the entertainment industry after completing his sentence.