Why did 6ix9ine surrender to authorities? Rapper turns himself in to begin three-month sentence

Tekashi 6ix9ine is back behind bars after surrendering to authorities in Brooklyn to serve a three-month sentence.

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, accompanied by streamer Adin Ross documenting the moment, the rapper turned himself in to the Metropolitan Detention Center for his probation violations, such as a drug possession charge, following his 2018 racketeering case.

In Ross's two-hour-long live broadcast, 6ix9ine — born Daniel Hernandez — was surrounded by his friends and supporters, whom he expressed his gratitude to in his final Instagram post before he returned to jail.

"Thank you guys so much see you in 3 months."

Initially, as seen in the footage, the send-off's mood was lively, but the atmosphere turned somber when the rapper officially turned himself in. As he walked away, Adin Ross spoke to the camera:

"That's actually so f***ing sad, I don't give a f**k. That's horrible, bro."

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6ix9ine's legal troubles: A timeline

6ix9ine's return behind bars comes after a slew of legal troubles he had faced since 2016, when he pleaded guilty to a felony charge involving a minor. At the time, he received four years of probation and community service.

In 2018, the rapper was arrested, alongside Nine Trey Gangsters members, for racketeering, firearms, and drug charges. He would then receive a two-year sentence in 2019 after testifying against the gang.

He was moved to house arrest in April 2020 to spend the remainder of his sentence amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He was released from house arrest in August that year, but was under a five-year supervised release.

Still, the rapper continued to breach probation terms, such as drug possession, using social media, and traveling without permission.

In 2024, he received a 45-day sentence after he pleaded guilty to traveling to Las Vegas and Sarasota, on top of using drugs.

In early 2025, he faced Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan federal court, where he was sentenced to three months in jail after violations during his supervised release, such as cocaine and MDMA possession, plus battery, after he reportedly assaulted a man at a mall in Florida.

Engelmayer told him in court:

"Five violations say to me that you believe the rules don't apply to you. Maybe you believe that because you're a famous rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine?"

At the time, 6ix9ine accepted responsibility for his violations, but told the judge that he didn't want "to go back in the box."

Prosecutors sought a nine-month sentence for the SHAKA LAKA star after he pleaded guilty to supervised release violations. Engelmayer ordered him to be placed on home detention with electronic monitoring.

The rapper's attorney then responded:

"I think the judge made the right call just for the fact that he's pending sentence, it would have been too drastic of a remedy to put him in jail. He went to a mall with his family, and a person who had a gun threatened him and called him a snitch and started a whole situation. He has to live every day with people doing stupid things to him and provoking him, which clearly was the case here."