NEW YORK, USA — Dancehall artiste Rygin King was arrested in New York on Monday. The artiste, who is now wheelchair-bound, has been charged along with five other men with a string of weapons possession charges.
A check with the Deputy Chief of Public Information (DCPI) Office of the 113th Precinct in New York confirmed that the “Tuff” singer was arrested at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 8th.
The entertainer, who goes by the name Matthew Smith, was sitting in the passenger seat when the vehicle was pulled over. Smith was allegedly in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun from the Palmetto State Armory and was subsequently arrested and charged.
Smith’s charges include five counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon of a loaded firearm, one count of third-degree unlawful possession of a magazine, and seven counts of possession of a firearm/ammunition feeding device and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
“The driver of the vehicle has also reportedly been charged with additional motor vehicle offences, license offences, impersonation and illegal signalling,” an officer from the DCPI unit told Observer Online.
According to New York state court records, Rigin King was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. A supplemental document in the records states, “The appearance of Section 110 before the indictment indicates an attempt to commit a crime.”
The 29-year-old artist is scheduled to appear in Queens Supreme Criminal Court on Friday, July 12. Rygin King is represented by court-appointed attorney Mark B. Reikind. Calls to Reikind’s cell phone were not immediately returned.
Ragin’ King rose to fame with his single “Tuff” and cemented his status with a performance at Reggae Sumfest in 2018. However, his musical success has been overshadowed by recent controversy, including being shot three times while being chased by an unknown gunman in Westmoreland in 2020.
The manager’s wife was shot and killed in the incident, and Rygin King sustained spinal cord injuries during the shooting.
