Chocolate MC received a 10-year prison sentence after accepting a plea deal combining murder-for-hire, kidnapping and burglary charges.
Chocolate MC received a 10-year prison sentence Monday after accepting a plea agreement that consolidates charges from three separate criminal cases in Miami-Dade County.
The Cuban Hip-Hop artist agreed to the deal that combines sentences for soliciting murder-for-hire, kidnapping and burglary charges.
The 29-year-old rapper’s legal troubles stem from his attempt to orchestrate revenge against Damian Valdez-Galloso, who faces murder charges in the October 2024 killing of Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger.
El Taiger was found shot in the back of his head near Jackson Memorial Hospital on October 3, 2024. The 37-year-old reggaeton artist died from his injuries one week later.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing Chocolate MC offered a $20,000 bounty for Valdez-Galloso’s death while both men were incarcerated. Court records reveal Chocolate MC posted social media videos targeting his friend’s alleged killer.
“Bring me his head and I’ll pay you a reward,” Chocolate MC said in one video played during his November 2025 trial. The prosecution argued this constituted clear solicitation of murder-for-hire.
During testimony, Chocolate MC broke down while discussing El Taiger’s death.
“If you’re asking me to kill him about this, no, no, I don’t, but I’m not capable of killing anyone,” he said on the stand, according to Local 10. The rapper claimed he expressed himself incorrectly in the threatening videos.
The plea agreement also addresses Chocolate MC’s December 2024 kidnapping case, where prosecutors allege he abducted a fan at gunpoint in Opa-locka who simply wanted a photograph.
Video evidence showed the rapper forcing the victim into a vehicle before driving to an undisclosed location. Additionally, Chocolate MC pleaded guilty to burglarizing a hotel room, though specific details of this incident remain sealed in court documents.
The combined plea deal requires him to undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations while serving his sentence.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Teresa Pooler ordered Sierra Hernandez to maintain no contact with victims from all three cases during his incarceration and five-year probation period.
According to NBC 6, the rapper was immediately fingerprinted and escorted from the courtroom following Monday’s sentencing hearing.
Chocolate MC rose to prominence in Miami’s Cuban Hip-Hop scene through collaborations with artists like Gente de Zona and his solo tracks that gained millions of YouTube views.
His music often reflected the struggles of Cuban immigrants adapting to life in South Florida.
Valdez-Galloso remains in custody awaiting trial for El Taiger’s murder, with prosecutors seeking first-degree murder charges.
