Chocolate MC was sentenced to 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal that combined murder-for-hire, kidnapping and burglary charges.
Chocolate MC was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday after accepting a plea deal that consolidated charges from three separate criminal cases in Miami-Dade County.
The Cuban hip-hop artist agreed to the deal, which included penalties for soliciting murder for hire, kidnapping and burglary.
The 29-year-old rapper’s legal troubles stem from his attempts to plot revenge against Damian Valdez-Galloso, who faces murder charges for the October 2024 killing of Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger.
On October 3, 2024, El Taiger was found with a gunshot wound to the back of his head near Jackson Memorial Hospital. The 37-year-old reggae artist died from his injuries a week later.
Prosecutors presented evidence that while both men were incarcerated, Chocolate MC offered a $20,000 reward for Valdez-Galoso’s death. The Chocolate host posted a video on social media targeting his friend’s killer, court records show.
“Give me his head and I will give you a reward,” Chocolate MC said in a video played during the trial in November 2025. Prosecutors argued that this clearly amounted to murder-for-hire.
During testimony, the Chocolate host broke down while discussing Eltaig’s death.
“If you want me to kill him for this, no, no, I won’t, but I don’t have the ability to kill anybody,” he said on the witness stand, Local 10 reported. The rapper claimed that his delivery of the threat in the video was incorrect.
The plea agreement also addresses the December 2024 kidnapping of Chocolate MC, who prosecutors say kidnapped a fan at gunpoint in Opa-locka who just wanted a photo.
Video evidence shows the rapper forced the victim into a car and drove to an undisclosed location. Additionally, Chocolate MC pleaded guilty to burglarizing a hotel room, but the specific details of the incident remain in court documents.
The comprehensive plea agreement requires him to undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations while serving his sentence.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Teresa Purler ordered Sierra Hernandez to have no contact with the victims in all three cases while in prison and on five years of probation.
The rapper was fingerprinted and escorted out of the courtroom immediately following Monday’s sentencing hearing, NBC 6 reported.
Chocolate MC rose to prominence in Miami’s Cuban hip-hop scene through collaborations with artists such as Gente de Zona, and his solo tracks have garnered millions of views on YouTube.
His music often reflects the struggles of Cuban immigrants adjusting to life in South Florida.
Valdez-Garoso remains in custody awaiting trial in Eltegue’s murder, and prosecutors are seeking first-degree murder charges.
