Podcaster Taxstone has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for his involvement in the 2016 shooting of Troy Ave‘s bodyguard Ronald “Banga” McPhatter.
According to reports, Taxstone — who prosecutors said was a member of the Bloods gang — was ordered to serve the sentence in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
“Daryl Campbell used a firearm to target his rival, which led to loss of a life and serious injuries to innocent bystanders,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement, per the New York Post.
“Gun violence cannot be used as a way to address conflict. The toll of guns continues to be staggeringly high and it is horrific that a night out at a concert ended tragically.”
Earlier this year, a New York state jury convicted Taxtstone, whose real name is Daryle Campbell of first-degree manslaughter, two counts of assault in the first degree, one count of assault in the second degree, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. The charges stems from a shooting, which occurred at a T.I. concert in Irving Plaza, New York City, in May of 2016.
What began as a altercation between Taxstone and Troy Ave escalated into a shooting between both camps that left Banga McPhatter dead and three others injured, including Troy Ave himself. Troy was arrested the following day at NYU Langone Hospital, where he was receiving treatment after surveillance cameras captured him firing shots in the venue. The weapon used in the shooting was also found in his vehicle. However, Troy claimed he gained possession of the firearm during a tussle with Tax.
Following a lengthy investigation, prosecution linked Taxstone to the crime through DNA evidence and eyewitness accounts. He was initially arrested in January 2017 and charged with multiple offenses, including illegally possessing a firearm and second-degree murder. While he pled guilty to the federal gun charges in June 2017, he maintained his innocence in the murder charge, claiming he was the victim of a calculated hit at the hands of Troy Ave who he had a “longstanding feud” with.
Troy Ave, who was facing several charges including attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon later testified against Taxstone in exchange for a reduced sentence.
“I rolled his body over and I’m like, ‘Banga, get up. Come on.’ I’m smacking him, like, ‘C’mon bro. Get up,’” he testified. “And his eyes were rolling to the back of his head. His shirt was red so I could tell he got shot.”
According to journalist Shawn Setaro, who was in court for the sentencing, Taxstone accused Troy Ave of lying in court to save himself.
“Half the stuff that was told on the stand by Troy Ave is a complete lie to protect himself from going to jail,” Campbell said.
Taxstone reacted to the verdict with a post on Twitter: “Just got 35 years for being victimized and reversing the situation the beauty in it all is ..
I’m not doing 35.”
His lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery plans to appeal the decision.
