Rapper Beanie Sigel Released From Prison After Spending 15 Months Behind Bars

Celeb was serving time for drug possession and tax evasion

By Bruna Nessif Aug 14, 2014 11:24 PMTags

Beanie Sigel is a free man.

The rapper (born Dwight Grant) was released from a Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia today after spending nearly a year and a half behind bars for drug possession. When contacted by E! News, an officer at the Pennsylvania institution confirmed that the name Dwight Grant "is not in the system for current inmates."

A photo of Sigel after his release was posted on the Instagram account for HipHopSince1987 with a caption that read, "Fresh out the federal ... Beanie Sigel home."

Sigel was arrested after Pennsylvania State Police found unspecified pills and codeine syrup on him and a .38-caliber handgun in the car during a traffic stop in August 2012. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor illegal drug possession in March 2013 and was sentenced to between six and 23 months in prison.

His arrest occurred roughly two weeks before the rapper was due to report for a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion for failing to pay $728,000 in taxes between 1999 and 2005—a stretch that Sigel's attorney was hoping his client will be able to serve concurrently with his time for the drug charge.

"Obviously, he's had an incredible amount of success and opportunity in his life. He's also made some mistakes, which have ended up putting him in custody. He's ready to go ahead and put that behind him and move on with is life," Sigel's attorney, Carson Morris, said in court at the time, per Delaware County's Daily Times.

"He has a lot of catching up to do," Morris added, "but he also has a lot of talent and a lot of opportunity, hopefully. So the prospect is that he can get out and move on and start doing something productive with his life."

—Reporting by Marcus Mulick