VIA: MTVNews.com
Shyne was released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) on Wednesday (October 28) and has “temporarily accepted deportation” to the country of Belize, according to his attorney Oscar Michelen.
The former Bad Boy rapper had been detained by immigration officials for nearly four weeks after serving close to nine years in prison for his involvement in 1999’s infamous Club New York shooting, for which Diddy also stood trial but was acquitted. Representatives for the rapper told MTV News following his detainment that Shyne was expected to be released on October 6. A short time later, however, Hot 97’s Angie Martinez reported that his deportation was imminent after speaking with the rapper privately.
At press time, the exact reason why Shyne was detained and ultimately deported remained unclear. A spokesperson for I.C.E. would not release any information pertaining to Shyne’s case when contacted by MTV News last week. Citing homeland security, the spokesperson would only reveal that Shyne was being held at a facility in western New York for an immigration law violation.
“We would never discuss any individual or group of individuals if we had a deportation operation under way, for security reasons,” spokesperson Michael Gilhooly said.
The Brooklyn-based rapper was born in Belize, where his father is currently the prime minister and is set to welcome his estranged son. Shyne was raised stateside by his mother, who reportedly is based in New Jersey after relocating from New York following her son’s trial in 2001. Michelen said it came down to Shyne making the decision to either “fight from detention or fight from freedom,” and he chose the latter.
Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree was assisting the rapper in his immigration case and as of press time is expected to continue to represent Shyne. Shyne will continue to fight for his return to the U.S., where he hopes to resurrect his once-promising music career. He was most recently signed to Def Jam Records after splitting with Diddy in the aftermath of their separate trials.
