June 25, (THEWILL) – Kenneth Petty, singer Nicki Minaj’s husband, could face up to 15 months in prison, for failing to register as a sex offender in the state of California.
According to TMZ, federal prosecutors are refusing to allow Petty to serve his sentence under home confinement, as they argue that the couple’s Calabasas mansion doesn’t equate to a formidable punishment for Petty.
Petty is a registered sex offender in the state of New York because he was convicted of first degree attempted rape in 1995. He later relocated with his wife in 2019, but was arrested at a traffic stop when authorities noticed he failed to register in California, which he is required by the law to do.
He was arrested again in 2020, for failing to register as a sex offender and pleaded guilty in November 2021.
“The timing of the defendant’s lapse in registration is concerning, given that it occurred when the defendant began dating his wife, quit his job and moved to Los Angeles, and adopted an affluent lifestyle”, prosecutor wrote in a court filing.
“Defendant has been completing sex offender registration documents for nearly 20 years. Over the course of two decades, he has been repeatedly warned that if he moved to another state, it was his responsibility to follow any local, city, state, federal, international law regarding registration.”
Federal prosecutors are now recommending Petty to serve 15 months of prison term and five years supervised release, as well as $55,000 in retribution. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 6.
