Mystikal is facing some potential hard time behind bars. On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the New Orleans rapper—whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler—pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree rape. According to USA Today, he could be facing up to 20 years in prison.
In 2022, Mystikal was accused of assaulting and robbing a woman at his home in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The victim, who is not named, claimed that he accused her of stealing from him. She said that he took her keys and phone away, and then raped her. He allowed her to leave his home only after forcing her to send him money via CashApp, she alleged.
Initially, Mystikal was indicted on multiple charges, including first-degree rape, simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and false imprisonment in the assault. If convicted of these initial charges, he would have faced a possible life sentence.
Ultimately, the rapper pleaded to an amended charge of third-degree rape. His sentencing is scheduled for June.
Mystikal has been held without bond since his arrest in 2022
This is not the first time that Mystikal has faced legal action over sexual crimes or allegations of theft. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion of his hairstylist, whom he and his bodyguards sexually assaulted and accused of stealing from him. The rapper was handed down a six-year prison sentence, which began the same year.
While in prison, Mystikal was charged with failing to file tax returns for two separate years. This led to an additional year of imprisonment. It was not until 2010 that he was released. He was reportedly required to register as a sex offender following his release.
In 2012, Mystikal was arrested again, following a dispute with his girlfriend. He was later charged with misdemeanor domestic abuse battery. During this time, the rapper was given a three-month jail sentence for violating the terms of his probation following his 2010 prison release.
Finally, in 2017, Mystikal was accused of rape again. A warrant was issued for his arrest, leading to the raper turning himself in to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was subsequently charged with rape and held at the Caddo Correctional Center from August 2017 until February 2019, when he posted a $3 million bond. The charges were eventually dropped.
The post Mystikal Pleads Guilty to Third-Degree Rape, Potentially Facing 20 Years Behind Bars appeared first on VICE.
