Rapper Mystikal Enters Guilty Plea in Third-Degree Rape Case, Faces 20-Year Sentence

Mystikal, also known as Michael Lawrence Tyler, surprisingly pleaded guilty to third-degree rape at the Ascension Parish Courthouse on Tuesday, 17 March. It came as a surprise, especially considering he had pleaded not guilty to the original charges that included first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery and false imprisonment.

However, it turns out that Mystikal's guilty plea was allegedly part of a deal to reduce the overall severity of the case against him. Had the 55-year-old rapper been found guilty of the original charges, he would have faced mandatory life imprisonment, The Guardian reported.

Tyler is due back in court on 30 March. A pre-sentencing investigation will also be conducted with the sentencing date set for 6 June. There is a possibility he could face up to 20 years behind bars, KLFY reported.

Mystikal's Recent Assault Case

It was on 31 July when Mystikal was arrested by deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office (APSO). This was after authorities responded to a hospital for an alleged sexual assault case.

Deputies interviewed the victim who was terribly distraught and had visible injuries to her body. She was interviewed by deputies and later asked to identify her attacker which turned out to be Tyler.

Mystikal would be arrested the following day at his Prairieville home. He was charged with rape and domestic abuse, WAFB reported. It was revealed that the two entered into an argument about finances and that the situation just got out of hand.

'The victim did meet him at his home and there was some discussion about finances potentially. And from there, that conversation went very far left and it's what led to the situation where he assaulted that victim. And then, he did eventually force her to give him some money. So, we know that he did know her, and it did transpire at his home,' Donovan Jackson of the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office revealed.

Long History of Criminal Cases

Tyler had been held without bond after that arrest. Although it wasn't mentioned, the decision likely stemmed from the fact that Mystikal had a history of sexual assault cases.

Before the 2022 incident, Mystikal was involved in several sexual assault cases. In 2004, a sexual assault case involving his hairstylist resulted in him getting jailed for six years. Moreover, he was registered as a sex offender at the time.

However, his knack for trouble continued in 2012. This time, he was arrested for a misdemeanour domestic abuse charge. That charge forced him to spend three months in jail.

Trouble continued for him in 2017, after Tyler was identified as a potential suspect in another sexual assault case that happened at the Shreveport Casino. He spent 18 months in jail but was later released after the charges were dropped.

Aside from sexual assault cases, Tyler has also faced several felony charges involving drugs. That included being found in the possession of drugs and paraphernalia such as methamphetamine and heroin.

His latest legal issue casts another dark cloud over his otherwise budding music career. He is the one behind global hits such as his 2000 single, Shake Ya A**, a song that earned him two Grammy Award nominations. Aside from that, another milestone for Mystikal was when his album titled Let's Get Ready debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.