Lil Tjay Arrested for Second Time in Two Weeks

UPDATE (Jan. 27):

According to a statement from Lil Tjay’s attorney, Dawn Florio, obtained by XXL this afternoon, Tjay’s recent arrest has been described as an “unfortunate” situation that was not his fault.

Florio explained, “Lil Tjay was not rearrested for another gun charge. He was excused from appearing in court last Friday by the arraignment Judge. Another Judge revoked his bond and put him back in jail for missing court on Friday even though he was told by the first Judge that he did not have appear. Lil Tjay’s family posted the bail yesterday and he is free. It is so unfortunate that he had to be jailed for something that was not his fault.”

ORIGINAL:

Lil Tjay has been arrested for the second time in two weeks.

Following Lil TJay’s arrest 11 days ago on gun charges, according to police records obtained by XXL on Friday (Jan. 27), the Bronx, N.Y. rapper was again taken into custody on Thursday (Jan. 26) and released at some point today. Despite initial reports claiming that TJay, born Tione Merritt, was reportedly booked on felony criminal possession of a firearm in the Bronx and has since posted bail, he was instead arrested for failure to appear in court in connection with his gun-related arrest from earlier this week. His next court date is reportedly scheduled for Feb. 14.

XXL has reached out to Lil Tjay’s team, his attorney and the New York Police Department for comment.

As previously reported, Lil Tjay was arrested for alleged gun possession on Jan. 16 at an Ice Spice video shoot. According to the NYPD, an SUV containing Tjay and four other individuals was parked illegally, leading police to investigate. They searched the vehicle and four firearms were recovered. All five men were taken into custody. Tjay bonded out the following day.

Lil Tjay’s attorney, Dawn Florio, claimed the rapper’s video shoot arrest was the result of an illegal search and seizure, saying police had no reason to search the vehicle. She also claimed the firearms did not belong to her client.

This is Tjay’s third time in three years being arrested in New York City on gun charges. In December of 2020, he was arrested in a similar situation in Brooklyn after a vehicle he was riding in with four other men was pulled over for an illegal lane change. Police searched the car and discovered four loaded handguns and a large amount of weed. Tjay was booked on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, marijuana possession and grand larceny.

Lil Tjay is making his musical comeback after being the victim of a near-fatal shooting last summer, releasing “Give You What You Want” last November and appearing on “Gangsta Boo” on Ice Spice’s new EP Like..?.