LHHNY Mendeecees Harris early release petition denied by federal judge
In something of a surprise decision, the judge in Mendeecees Harris’ case has ruled against the Love & Hip Hop New York star’s petition for an early release. Bossip reports that Judge Frank Geraci, who originally sentenced Mendeecees to eight years behind bars for his role in a drug trafficking ring, denied Mendeecees’ request for a shorter sentence in a formal ruling this week.
Mendeecees’ attorneys had argued that their client had been sentenced under expired guidelines, and that three years should be taken off of his term as a result. His legal team also argued that Mendeecees had turned his life around before beginning his prison sentence: he was making a name for himself as a motivational speaker and anti-drug crusader, speaking specifically to groups of children up and down the East Coast.
Judge Geraci acknowledged that Mendeecees’ sentence originated in the now-expired guidelines–but said that the terms of Mendeecees’ plea deal specifically stated that his sentence would not be lowered once it began.
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Mendeecees surrendered to begin his formal sentence in December of 2015, meaning he was originally scheduled to be released in December of 2023. But Judge Geraci credited Mendeecees with the 15 months he had already served, so his new release date is in September or October of 2022.
In the meantime, Mendeecees has been offering updates from prison much more often than usual, and promises fans he’s keeping his head up:
(Photo credits: Mendeecees Harris early release via Instagram)
