Rapper Leaf Ward Caught With Machine Gun, Gets 46 Months
Rapper Leaf Ward was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to firearms-related charges earlier this week.
The 27-year-old Philadelphia native stood before U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky and received a 46-month prison term, a $25,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
The charges stemmed from Ward’s unauthorized possession of firearms, particularly a machine gun, crimes compounded by his status as a convicted felon.
His latest legal troubles started after an arrest in August 2023 during a high-stakes encounter at the Bahama Breeze restaurant near the King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania.
Authorities say Leaf Ward caught their attention after arriving in a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement officers performing routine parking lot checks ran the car’s plates, discovering it had been reported stolen out of Philadelphia.
While preparations were underway to tow the vehicle, the rapper emerged from the restaurant with his girlfriend. Moments later, chaos unfolded.
Spotting officers in uniform near the scene, Leaf Ward bolted back into the restaurant and desperately attempted to dispose of evidence.
According to court filings, he was seen placing a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, rigged with an illegal conversion switch to function as a fully automatic weapon, into a kitchen trash can.
Officers pursued him through the restaurant and ultimately apprehended him behind the building. The firearm, loaded and ready to fire, was recovered.
“Despite two prior gun convictions, Ward continued to wield these weapons, boldly displaying them in his videos and carrying them on the street,” U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero said in a statement. “This office will continue to work with the ATF and our state and local partners to get guns out of the hands of people not permitted to have them, to tamp down violent crime and make the public safer.”
Before his legal troubles, Leaf Ward enjoyed a measure of fame in the Hip-Hop scene, with hits like “Concrete” and “They Forgot 3,” the latter amassing over one million streams on Spotify and “Close Range,” which has garnered over 10 million YouTube views.