Dancehall artist Andrae Maurice Whittaker, known professionally as Squash, was sentenced Monday, November 24, to two years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm while living in the United States illegally.
Whittaker, a native of Salt Spring in Montego Bay, Jamaica, was arrested earlier this year during a traffic stop in Miami, Florida, where authorities recovered a firearm from the vehicle he was traveling in. Police said the firearm had been modified with a switch commonly referred to by Jamaicans as a “chip glock.”
Squash was later transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and entered a plea agreement admitting to the firearm offense as an undocumented immigrant. His legal team has rejected allegations that he is the leader of an organized criminal gang, a tag that emerged during court proceedings.
The sentencing ends months of legal proceedings that followed his arrest. Squash, known for hits including Big Breeze and Shub Out, migrated to the U.S. several years ago but had been living in the country without proper documentation.
Following the ruling, Whittaker will begin serving his sentence in federal custody and is expected to face immigration action upon completion. His father, also in the U.S., is reportedly in ICE custody.
U.S. federal authorities had alleged that Squash is the leader of a “transnational criminal organization.” Court documents state that he entered the U.S. illegally in January 2021 after fleeing Jamaica amid a deadly gang feud. He was previously detained by ICE and later released on bond after marrying an American citizen, who federal authorities say purchased one of the firearms found in his possession.
Squash was initially arrested on February 24 during a Miami traffic stop, where a modified Glock pistol was reportedly found in the glove compartment of his vehicle. He initially pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal possession of a modified weapon and possession of a concealed weapon without a permit.
