(AllHipHop News) Rap veteran DMX has officially begun his one-year sentence for tax fraud.
The rapper, real name Earl Simmons, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars in March after striking a plea deal with prosecutors and pleading guilty to just one count of tax fraud, instead of the 14 federal charges he initially faced upon his arrest last summer.
The hip-hop star was expected to serve his punishment at Danbury Federal Correctional Facility in Connecticut, the same prison which inspired the hit Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” but he was instead moved to Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton in West Virginia at the last minute from his holding cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
His lawyer tells said DMX is still happy with the change of location, even though it is further away from his family in New York, as the facility has a reputation for its treatment programs for addicts.
The 47-year-old, who has battled drug demons in the past, will also have the opportunity to take part in various training programs and arts and crafts classes while behind bars.
“(DMX) looks great, is very happy, and overall, is doing remarkably well,” he said.
