Kodak Black could have a new prison cell in his future as prosecutors in South Carolina prepare to ‘aggressively’ pursue a sexual assault charge against him after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in a separate federal case.
The 23-year-old rapper, whose real name is Bill Kahan Kapri, has spent the past two years in a federal prison after being convicted of making a false statement to buy a firearm in 2019.
Kodak is now expected to be released in the middle of his 46-month sentence after receiving one of dozens of pardons Trump issued this week, hours before leaving office.
But his legal problems are far from over, because Trump’s forgiveness does not protect him from the pending sexual assault case he is facing in Florence, South Carolina state court.
Kodak was charged with a felony of first-degree sexual misconduct after prosecutors said he raped an 18-year-old woman in a hotel room after a show in 2016.
The case was halted last year when the coronavirus pandemic led to the suspension of jury trials, but prosecutors have not forgotten that.
Kodak Black may have a new prison cell in his future, as prosecutors in South Carolina prepare to “aggressively” pursue a sexual assault charge against the rapper after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in a separate federal case
Kodak, whose real name is Bill Kahan Kapri, has spent the last two years in a federal prison after being convicted of making a false statement to buy a firearm in 2019
Florence County attorney Ed Clements told TMZ on Thursday that his office will continue to pursue the case “aggressively” until it goes to trial or until Kodak accepts a court settlement.
Clements also told Courthouse News that he expects Kodak to be transported to South Carolina after being released from federal prison. The date of his release has not been set.
Kodak was charged with a felony of first-degree sexual misconduct in 2016 after prosecutors said he raped an 18-year-old woman in a hotel room after a show. He is depicted in a photograph from that year
Court documents supporting the sexual assault charge claim that Kodak forced the university-age woman into a hotel. He supposedly bit her neck and breast while she said it over and over [him] stop’.
“His injuries were documented in a sexual assault kit that was filled in by the medical staff,” says a statement from Kodak’s prison.
The rapper’s lawyer in the case, Beattie Ashmore, responded to Clements’s comments by telling TMZ: ‘Suing aggressively? Four years have passed. That speaks volumes. Kodak was on bail and on tour for two years before his federal case even started. ‘
But Ashmore indicated that he is fully prepared to continue fighting for his client, adding: ‘Ed is a very good and experienced prosecutor and I look forward to talking to him again about this case. Has been some time.’
If convicted of sexual misconduct, Kodak faces up to 30 years in state prison.
Kodak posted this photo of himself wearing a prison jumpsuit on Instagram in 2019, after being sentenced to 46 months in prison for lying in a federal document to get a gun
Kodak has an extensive criminal record that dates back to his adolescence, when he was placed in juvenile detention on three different occasions.
In 2016, he was arrested twice in Florida on charges of armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. He eventually agreed not to contest these charges in exchange for one year of house arrest and five years of probation.
But prosecutors revoked that plea bargain at the last minute after discovering two pending warrants for Kodak’s arrest – one for sexual assault in South Carolina and one for marijuana possession in Florida.
He did not contest the drug charges and served four months in prison before being extradited to South Carolina.
Kodak was released from custody there in December 2016, after posting a $ 100,000 bond.
Kodak fell on the music scene in 2016. The rapper (pictured at a concert in 2018) is best known for the songs’ Roll in Peace, ‘ZEZE’ and ‘Tunnel Vision’
After a few more fights with state officials in 2017 and 2018, Kodak found himself in trouble with the feds in April 2019, when he was arrested for possession of weapons and drugs on the U.S. border with Canada.
Less than a month later, he was charged twice for making a false statement on a government form when trying to buy firearms.
He made a court settlement and was returned to the federal prison in Big Sandy, Kentucky, before being transferred to Thomson Penitentiary in Illinois, where he is currently being held.
On Wednesday, Kodak accessed Twitter to express its gratitude for Trump’s forgiveness.
“I want to thank President @RealDonaldTrump for his commitment to reforming justice and reducing my sentence,” he wrote.
‘I also want to thank everyone for their support and love. That means more than you will ever know. I want to continue giving back, learning and growing. ‘
Last fall, Kodak reportedly promised to donate $ 1 million to charity if he received forgiveness, but it is unclear whether he plans to move forward.
Kodak was among a crowd of prominent figures forgiven by the now former president, including rapper Lil Wayne and former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon.
On Wednesday, Kodak accessed Twitter to express its gratitude for Trump’s forgiveness
Kodak was among a crowd of prominent figures forgiven by Trump on Tuesday