Lil Zay Osama, Machine Gun Possession, New York 2024
New York rapper Lil Zay Osama, whose real name is Isaiah Dukes, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for possessing an illegal machine gun in New York. Dukes, 27, of Calumet City, Illinois, was arrested on September 29, 2022 and charged with possession of a machinegun.
Dukes pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2024 and was sentenced by United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison to 14 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. The sentence was announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Office (ATF), and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
"The defendant knowingly carried a fully automatic weapon, a pistol with a switch device whose only purpose is to make a dangerous weapon all the more deadly – and then carelessly left that gun in the back of a rideshare," stated United States Attorney Peace. "Today’s sentence serves as a warning that those who possess illegal guns, particularly with switches that convert those guns into machineguns, will be held accountable for their actions and for the danger they pose to our community."
Dukes was arrested after leaving the firearm in a rideshare vehicle that brought him from a luxury hotel in Manhattan to a recording studio in Queens. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the firearm could automatically fire more than one round with a single function of the trigger, rendering it a machinegun.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gilbert M. Rein and Rebecca M. Schuman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman.
The case highlights the dangers of possessing illegal machine guns and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions. The sentence serves as a reminder to anyone who may bring an illegal firearm, especially one that has been modified to increase its lethality, into New York City: There are serious consequences for your reckless actions.
Defendant:
ISAIAH DUKES
Age: 27
Calumet City, Illinois
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-28 (NRM)
Criminal Charges: Possession of a Machinegun
City and State: New York
Exact Date: September 29, 2022
Sentence or Outcome: 14 months in prison and a $10,000 fine
Dollar Amounts: $10,000
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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