Meek Mill receives 4 years in prison for violating probation

Robert Williams, popularly known by his stage name Meek Mill received a sentence of two to four years in prison after the Philadelphia rapper violated his probation with a pair of arrests earlier in the year.

The rapper, born Robert Williams, was arrested in March following a fight at a St. Louis airport, although those charges were dropped. Meek Mill also pleaded guilty to reckless driving in October after he posted videos of himself doing wheelies on a dirt bike in New York City.

Common Pleas Court Judge Genece E. Brinkley, who has previously overseen matters relating to Meek Mill's probation, deemed both arrests a violation of the rapper's probation before sentencing him to two to four years in a state prison.

Brinkley, who previously sentenced to Meek Mill to 90 days of house arrest following a February 2016 probation violation, accused Meek Mill of "just thumbing your nose at me" with his repeated violations.

Meek Mill was initially arrested on drug and weapons charges in 2008, resulting in eight months in prison and five years of probation. After the rapper violated his probation in 2009 by travellng out of Philadelphia without approval, he was sentenced to an additional five months in prison and his probation was extended for 10 more years, Philly.com added.

Although Meek Mill's defense attorney declined to comment following Monday's decision, he said regarding an appeal of the sentence, "You're goddamned right I am."

Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation company manages the rapper, denounced the sentence on Facebook. "The sentence handed down by the Judge – against the recommendation of the Assistant District Attorney and Probation Officer – is unjust and heavy handed. We will always stand by and support Meek Mill, both as he attempts to right this wrongful sentence and then in returning to his musical career."