Fallen hip-hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight was sentenced to 28 years in state prison Thursday for killing a man with his pickup truck during a hit-and-run in 2015.
Knight, 53, showed little emotion as a Los Angeles judge handed down the sentence, Reuters reported.
The sentencing came after the Death Row Records co-founder struck a surprise plea deal with prosecutors on Sept. 20. Under the agreement, Knight pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter for killing Terry Carter, and agreed to a 28-year prison sentence.
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The deadly crash occurred on Jan. 29, 2015 in the parking lot of Tam’s Burgers, which served as a base camp during a promo shoot for the film Straight Outta Compton.
Knight wasn’t invited to the shoot, but dropped in unannounced after hearing that a “Suge look-alike” had been cast in the film. Some type of argument occurred and he drove into Carter and Cle “Bone” Sloan before fleeing the scene.
Compton native Knight originally pleaded not guilty in the case, but accepted a plea deal days before jury selection was scheduled to begin in his trial.
He had been facing murder and attempted murder charges for driving his Ford pickup truck into Carter and actor-activist Sloan, who was injured in the crash. If convicted at trial, Knight faced a life sentence.
As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the murder charges against the former record executive. They also dismissed two other criminal cases against him for robbery and making criminal threats.
Knight’s sentencing marked a final chapter in his fall from grace. Once considered one of the most powerful people in hip-hop — with artists on his label including Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg — Knight’s future is now bleak.
With good behavior, he is expected to spend about 20 years in prison.
