It turns out that YFN Lucci, former labelmate of the late Rich Homie Quan, is the victim of a death hoax. TMZ has reported that even though there was a rumor on Wednesday (Sept. 18) that Lucci —whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett — had passed, it was nothing more than “pure fabrication.”
The artist was sentenced to 10 years in prison back in January following his RICO trial. He pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act almost three years after he was indicted on gang, murder and racketeering charges in Atlanta.
Lucci’s attorney Drew Findling told TMZ that his 33-year-old client is, in fact, alive and was not killed in prison. Some believe that the rumors were started in an effort to stir emotions following the death of Rich Homie Quan earlier this month.
Quan, whose real name was Dequantes Lamar, was found dead in his home. He was just 34 years old, and the cause of his death has yet been determined.
Lucci was just one of a dozen people charged in a sweeping indictment that went after alleged members of the Bloods gang in April 2021. He was initially charged with murder in January 2021 after authorities said he was the driver in a gang-related drive-by shooting in which a man was killed.
As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped 12 of 13 counts against Lucci and he pleaded guilty to just a single count of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. He may be released as early as January 2025, with his jail time counting as time served.
In July, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said that, “The state does not object to the defendant, Rayshawn Bennett, being released.” This statement left many feeling optimistic about his release.