YNW Melly Fears He Could Die Amid Coronavirus Diagnosis While In Jail; Begs For Early Release
Last week, unfortunate news broke that incarcerated Florida rapper YNW Melly has tested positive for the coronavirus while awaiting trial at Broward County Jail. Now, the 20-year-old rapper’s plea for early prison release has reached a dire turn.
Per court documents obtained by TMZ, Melly’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, claims that he has been plagued with severe chills, heavy labored breathing, headaches and body aches since contracting the highly infectious respiratory illness. Cohen stated that Broward County Jail is not adequately prepared to handle the coronavirus outbreak, and inmates haven’t been given cleaning supplies and protective masks to stave off an infection per the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendation.
He further claimed that Melly has dropped down to 114 pounds and his health is not being properly monitored. Additionally, the “Murder On My Mind” rapper is reportedly sharing a cell with another inmate that has tested positive for the coronavirus. It wasn’t stated if that’s who he contracted COVID-19 from, but Cohen expressed concern that they could’ve passed the virus to each other, which further underscores the urgency of the matter.
As such, Melly and Cohen are asking for a judge to grant him an early release and place him under house arrest at a medical facility at his own expense, per TMZ.
This comes after a wave of high-profile inmates, including Bill Cosby and R. Kelly, filed requests to serve their sentences under provisionary arrangements amid the ongoing pandemic. Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was granted an early release given his pre-existing asthma ailment.
It waits to be seen if Melly will be granted the same reprieve.
