Tommy Lee Sparta Sentenced To 3 Years On Gun Charge
Dancehall artist Tommy Lee Sparta has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to three years in jail. Sparta, whose real name is Leroy Russell, appeared before the High Court Division of the Gun Court today and was represented by Queens Counsel Tom Tavares Finson and Donahue Martin.
The Under Vibes artist has been in custody since he was arrested on December 14, 2020, by members of the JCF’s Specialized Operations Unit, after a Toyota Mark X motorcar in which he was traveling was intercepted on Holborn Road, in St Andrew. The popular deejay was searched, and a 9mm pistol containing 18 rounds of ammunition was found in his waistband.
For the illegal possession of a firearm charge, he received a three-year sentence. On the ammunition charge, he was slapped with two years in prison. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Sentencing for illegal possession of firearm charges is typically between 10 to 15 years as was seen in the recent case of Mavado’s son, Dantay Brooks. However, a number of mitigating factors worked in Tommy Lee Sparta’s favor.
“The mitigating factors were that he pleaded guilty on the first relevant court date, he had already served three months for the offence and he has no previous convictions,” attorney-at-law Donahue Martin told DancehallMag.
“Plus, Tommy Lee Sparta was gainfully employed in the local music industry, and he is a contributing member of society. Those factors helped him to get a reduced sentence.”
The plea bargaining which has led to a number of reduced sentences for non-capital offences is facilitated by the Criminal Justice (Administration) (Amendment) Act and the Indictments (Amendment) Act, which sought to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts.
Tommy Lee Sparta’s first conviction today follows several run-ins with the law over the last six years.
Notably, he was detained without charge for 41 days last year, after he was named a person of interest in investigations into an uptick of violence in sections of the second city, Montego Bay, and was accused of having influence over the St James-based Downtown Sparta Gang.
The 33-year-old artist got his big break in 2012 as a former member of Vybz Kartel‘s Portmore “Gaza” Empire and is best known for Spartan Soldier, Spartan Angel, Psycho, Rich Badness, and Blessings.
The singer has released two music videos since the start of the year, Ghetto Cry and Holding On. According to his manager Nicole ‘Boss Lady’ Taban, his music receives an estimated 2.5 million streams monthly worldwide across several platforms.
Meanwhile, Dancehall artist Laden had also pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and was sentenced to four years in prison, after his arrest in October 2020 following a police chase.
Another deejay, Shokryme, is awaiting sentencing after he pleaded guilty to a similar offense.
Rytikal, the fourth deejay to be charged over gun possession in recent months, is also appearing in court today.
Dancehall artists Quada and Munga Honorable are also currently before the courts on stalled murder charges, while veterans Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman are serving time on their murder convictions.