When was Max B sentenced? Timeline of his arrest and release explained

Rapper Max B, hailing from Harlem, was arrested for a robbery in New Jersey that ended with a fatality. While his case has been making its way through the court systems for many years, he is no longer facing a lengthy sentence, and now he finally has a release date.

According to TMZ, Max B was arrested in connection with an event that took place back in August 2006 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Police describe the event as a robbery that took place at a hotel where a man was shot and later died as a result. Max's accomplices testified against him, leading to a trial and a jury finding Max guilty of several counts. He was sentenced in September of 2009 to a massive sentence of 75 years, and the music community, as well as the news, cited that case for an extensive period of time.

Following the 2009 sentence, Max B and his lawyers set up an appeal and sought a way to change the outcome. Over the years, the legal process has turned long and complicated. Questions arose about how some of the issues in the case were addressed, and well after the fact, the judge and lawyers took to reviewing the record.

By 2016, a judge agreed to a proposed plea wherein Max would enter a guilty plea to aggravated manslaughter. That plea reduced and modified his sentence. The reduced and modified sentence ended up granting him credits for the time served, which meant that he was a candidate for release in the 2020s.

Max B's arrest, trial, and 2009 sentence

Max B's arrest came after the Fort Lee hotel robbery in 2006. The case then moved slowly through pretrial steps and motions. By 2009, the matter reached a jury trial, which found him guilty on multiple charges. The charges included serious crimes tied to the death that occurred during the robbery. In early September 2009, a judge pronounced the sentence: 75 years in prison. Many people in music and in the media reacted to that long-term. Some said it was too long, and others said the crimes were serious and the sentence matched the charges. The reporting at the time noted both the sentence and the strong reaction in music circles.

While Max B was serving that sentence, supporters and some artists kept his name alive. His style had influenced many younger artists, and fans posted messages and spoke on his behalf online. His legal team kept working on appeals and motions. They argued that parts of the trial and the representation could be questioned. Those efforts were part of the path that led to a new look at the case years later.

2016 plea deal, sentence reduction, and release plans

In 2016, a judge agreed to change the case outcome. As per the reports by AP News, a plea deal was reached, and Max B pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter. The judge resentenced him to a term that took into account the many years he had already been inside. News outlets reported that the earlier 75-year term was effectively reduced and that he was given a sentence that allowed release in the mid-2020s. The Associated Press ran a clear report on the change at the time, explaining the legal steps and how the new sentence came to be.

After the 2016 change, prison records and public posts by Max B and others pointed to a release date in November 2025. Over the years, Max B mentioned the date in calls and interviews from inside prison. His friends and fellow artists also shared the news and celebrated the idea of his coming home. In 2024 and 2025, several outlets repeated that the expected release date was November 9, 2025. On that date, reports say he was released and left prison. Fans and peers reacted quickly online with posts and messages.

Thus, the plea led to a lower effective sentence that counted time served. That change made a 2025 release possible. Max B's legal case is an example of how a trial can move across years. A long sentence can be cut after appeals, legal review, or a plea deal.

Max B’s music and his "wave" style were named by many other artists as an influence while he was in prison. Now that he's been released, the music world and fans will watch to see what he does next.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback