News Americas, TAMPA, FL, Sun. May 17, 2015: An agreement between the United States government and Jamaican-born singer Buju Banton could see him released from federal prison in January 2019.
The singer, born Mark Anthony Myrie is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for his cocaine conspiracy conviction but a firearms charge he was facing that could have added more time has now been resolved.
Banton was previously granted a new trial for a firearms charge after a finding by the District Court that a juror had committed misconduct in regard to that charge during his trial.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently dismissed Banton’s appeal, sending the matter back to the District Court for the firearms trial.
But now an agreement between the feds and the singer calls for the United States to dismiss the remaining firearms charge in exchange for his waiver of all future appeals.
The agreement has been accepted by the District Court, and the firearms charge has been dismissed.
Myrie will be deported back to his native Jamaica in January 2019.
