Rapper Ja Rule was released from prison Thursday after serving most of his two-year sentence for an illegal gun possession charge, but he remains in the custody of federal authorities over time he still owes due to tax evasion charges, the Associated Press reports.
The platinum-selling rapper was escorted out of upstate New York's Mid-State Correctional Facility at 9:30 a.m. and was being held at a jail in central New York while awaiting word of where he will serve time remaining for the tax case, according to the AP.
The 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Atkins, has some time remaining on his 28-month sentence for tax evasion that ran concurrently with the gun charges.
According to the AP, Ja Rule's defense attorney Stacey Richman said the rapper may be eligible for a halfway house. Richman said back taxes are one of the main reasons the rapper wants to get back to work.
"Many people are looking forward to experiencing his talent again," Richman said.
Ja Rule reportedly owed the IRS $1.1 million. It is unclear whether any of that has been paid already. The rapper earned a Grammy Award nomination in 2002 for best rap album for his record "Pain is Love."
Ja Rule was able to get out of prison at his earliest possible release date, the AP reported. While in prison he has two misbehavior reports for unauthorized phone calls in February 2012. He also had work assignments on lawn and ground crews. The rapper also reportedly took place in education programs while in prison.
The charges from the illegal firearms case stemmed from police finding a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic gun in the back of the rapper's luxury car after he was stopped for speeding. He later admitted in federal court that he failed to pay taxed on more than $3 million he earned between 2004 and 2006, the report stated.
"I in no way attempted to deceive the government or do anything illegal," he told the judge, according to the AP. "I was a young man who made a lot of money - I'm getting a little choked up - I didn't know how to deal with these finances, and I didn't have people to guide me, so I made mistakes."
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
