Georgia rapper Quando Rondo was sentenced to 33 months in prison Wednesday for conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana.
Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, originally faced up to five years but struck a plea deal with the U.S. Department of Justice in August to plead guilty only to the marijuana charge, dropping other drug-related offenses.
The sentencing by Judge R. Stan Baker marks the end of a federal case that began almost exactly one year ago.
If the case had gone to trial, U.S. attorneys were expected to call expert witnesses who specialize in criminal street gangs and drug distribution.
Why was Quando Rondo sentenced to 33 months?
Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Bradley Thompson requested Bowman receive 37 months in prison and a $50,000 fine. He said children look up to the rapper and hopes that will inspire him to stay on a better path.
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Thompson then referenced details of a new song that seem to match “Life Goes on,” a recent track released by Bowman. In the music video, Bowman released blue and white balloons to commemorate Saviaya Robinson, a close friend who was murdered in Los Angeles in August 2022. The reference to lyrics slots into a larger legal trend over the past few years in which rappers’ songs are employed as evidence in a courtroom.
In November, Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was charged in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting Bowman, which resulted in the death of Robinson, prosecutors allege. Blue and white represent the colors of the Crips Street Gang, Thompson said, adding that he hoped Bowman was no longer a part of the criminal organization.
Bowman’s defense attorney Tom Withers, meanwhile, requested the court sentence Bowman to 24 months imprisonment, citing “unique circumstances,” including a “changing legal landscape” surrounding marijuana charges and the criminality of youthful offenders. Withers argued that Bowman was leaving gang activity behing and that the rapper had succeeded despite a rough childhood that included him being scalded with an iron as an infant and being raised in the foster care system.
Bowman then made a personal statement, in which he accepted responsibility.
Baker ultimately accepted Bowman’s plea agreement and sentenced him to 33 months, three years of supervised release and a $40,000 fine. His sentence will begin Jan. 10, 2025.
Baker took into consideration that Bowman was not in a gang but that he had been at one point and called his actions a “sophisticated conspiracy.” The rapper is alleged to have sold marijuana in packages with a QR code on them that linked to his music.
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Outside of the courthouse, Withers and Bowman declined to comment. Bowman was seen hugging family and friends.
What was Quando Rondo being charged with?
In the original indictment, federal prosecutors charged Bowman with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and one count to distribute controlled substances. The indictment alleged that beginning in January 2021, Bowman conspired with two other co-defendants to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana.
As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss part of that count, particularly that Bowman conspired to possess and distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. The government also pledged to return property it seized from Bowman as part of the federal charges, including jewelry.
Wednesday’s sentencing marks just one part of a larger legal puzzle for Bowman.
On June 14, a grand jury indicted Bowman for conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and Violation of Street Gang Terrorism Act, illegal use of a communication facility, and another count of conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. The June indictment alleged that Bowman was a member of the Rollin’ 60s gang and asked fellow gang members to provide him with guns and help set up a marijuana sale.
On Feb. 1, less than two months after the federal indictment was unsealed, Chatham County Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes placed the upcoming trial of Bowman on a dead docket, citing the federal case, which included “charges arising out of the same transaction and occurrence.” The case remains on the dead docket, according to court records, which postpones it indefinitely but allows the court to reinstate it at any time at its discretion.
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In a separate incident, Bowman was arrested on Feb. 6 for an incident that occurred on July 19, 2023, when he was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs. A trial in that case is scheduled for February 2025.
On June 19, a man filed a civil lawsuit against Bowman, alleging that, on July 19, 2023, Bowman crashed into his car, causing “serious bodily injuries” and more than $8,000 in medical bills. That case remains ongoing.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman
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