Rygin King’s Attorney Says He’s “Confident” New York Gun Charges Will Be Dismissed

Attorney-at-law Marc B. Laykind, the lawyer representing Dancehall artist known as Rygin King, is confident that the criminal gun possession charges will be dismissed soon.

“It’s only a matter of time before all charges against him are dismissed,” Laykin told DancehallMag. “I am confident the case will be dismissed when he has his day in court.”

“It takes a while, it’s a slow process,” Laykin added. “But I am confident it will be dismissed.”

The Tuff artist, whose real name is Matthew Smith, last appeared in Court on August 1 in the Queens Supreme Criminal Court. He will return on August 9.

King, who is disabled following a shooting incident four years ago, pleaded not guilty to the six charges.

In July, Rygin King, along with his wife Ileene Parker-Smith, 41, and Kemor Palmer, 30, Derol Tate, 30, Rashaun Linton, 27, and Jovaughn Brown, 23, were stopped by police in Queens while traveling in a Ford Explorer. A loaded firearm was allegedly found in King’s possession, the police said.

All six individuals were hit with similar gun possession charges, including criminal possession of a loaded firearm in the second, third, and fourth degree. Brown, the driver, was also charged with a vehicle and license violation, false impersonation, and an illegal signal.

In New York, the top charge of criminal possession of a loaded firearm carries a minimum sentence of three and a half years in prison for first-time offenders, with a maximum of 15 years.

Recently, Rygin took to social media and reassured his fans that he would never disappoint them.

“I am committed to proving that your trust in me is well-placed. The journey has its ups and downs, but I promise that the verdict will tell. Together, we will continue to achieve great things, and your faith in me will be rewarded,” he said in an Instagram post two weeks ago.

King’s first two albums, Therapy (2022) and Recovery (2024) were inspired by his rehabilitation following an attack on his entourage in Westmoreland, Jamaica, in 2020.

His manager’s wife, Sashalee Blackwood, was tragically killed, while King was chased into a ditch and shot three times. He spent several weeks in medical facilities, undergoing critical surgeries.

Now bound to a wheelchair, he left Jamaica in 2021 for orthopedic consultations and therapy in the US.