Mystikal Pleads Guilty to Third-Degree Rape in 2022 Louisiana Case, Faces Up to 20 Years

After months of legal back and forth, things have taken a major turn for Mystikal. The veteran rapper has now pleaded guilty in connection to a 2022 case that had been building toward trial.

According to multiple reports, including Rolling Stone, Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, admitted guilt to third-degree rape in a Louisiana state courthouse. As a result, he now faces a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Originally, the situation looked much more severe. Mystikal had been charged with first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse, battery, and false imprisonment. He had previously pleaded not guilty and was expected to go to trial on March 30.

His guilty plea came as part of a reported deal that reduced the seriousness of the charges. If he had been convicted on the original counts, he could have faced mandatory life in prison.

The case goes back to 2022, when Mystikal was indicted following an alleged assault at his home in Prairieville, Louisiana. The list of charges at the time was long and included accusations like simple criminal damage to property, false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, and simple robbery.

There were also several drug-related charges. According to reports, the alleged victim told authorities she saw a white crystalline-like substance inside the home. Officers who responded later said narcotics were recovered from the property.

The accuser told investigators that Mystikal had raped, choked, and beaten her. She also claimed he took her phone and car keys to keep her from leaving, and forced her to send him money through CashApp.

In 2023, fellow rapper Master P publicly showed support for Mystikal. While on stage at the Lovers & Friends Festival in Las Vegas, he asked the crowd to raise their hands in support of him.

Despite that moment, the court ruled last November that Mystikal would remain incarcerated leading up to his trial.

This is not Mystikal’s first time dealing with serious legal issues. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion charges in a separate case and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Years later, in 2012, he spent three months in jail after an arrest tied to a misdemeanor domestic abuse count. In 2017, he was again charged with kidnapping and rape, though that case was eventually dropped by authorities.

Now, with this latest guilty plea, the focus shifts to sentencing and what comes next for the rapper.