It’s official: Fallen former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight was sentenced to 28 years in state prison on Thursday for the 2015 hit-and-run that took the life of Terry Carter, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office told TheWrap.
The sentencing came after a plea agreement during where Knight pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter. Knight, who reached the agreement as his trial loomed, had originally been charged with murder and attempted murder.
“Under the sentencing guidelines, Knight would receive the high-term of 11 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter count, which would double because he has a prior conviction under California’s three strikes law,” the DA’s office said at the time of the agreement. “He also would receive an additional five years because the conviction was for a serious and violent felony and a year for the deadly weapon allegation.”
In all, former Death Row Records boss Knight was scheduled to stand trial for one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of hit-and-run stemming from a January 2015 incident in Compton, California, that left one man dead and another injured.
Knight was accused of intentionally running over Cle “Bone” Sloan and Terry Carter, 55, killing Carter and injuring Sloan. He had faced life in prison if found guilty, due to prior convictions.
Knight was ordered to stand trial in 2015. Since that time, his case has seen many turns, including multiple changes of lawyers and a number of instances during which the former rap mogul, 53, was hospitalized.
“By entering his plea, Knight also will resolve two other pending criminal cases. Knight was indicted for making criminal threats in August 2014. He also was charged for allegedly stealing a camera from a woman in September 2014,” the DA’s office said of the plea agreement. “Those charges would be dismissed by a judge at sentencing.”