Squash Pleads Not Guilty To Miami Firearm Charges

Dancehall artist Squash pleaded not guilty to firearm charges when he appeared in a US court on Wednesday, April 2.

Squash, whose given name is Andrae Maurice Whittaker, is charged with illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He entered the written plea before Thursday’s arraignment hearing. The Big Breeze deejay has also requested a jury trial.

Squash is set to make his next appearance in court on Monday, April 7 when the judge is expected to set a trial date.

Squash and another man, Zidanne George Prescott, were arrested in February this during a traffic stop. Officers reportedly observed the artist reaching for his waistband and placing a black object in the glove compartment. Prescott, found to be driving with a suspended license, denied that there were weapons in the car but consented to a search.

Police recovered a modified Glock 19 pistol, known as a “chip Glock,” capable of automatic fire, from the glove compartment. The weapon fit a holster found on Squash’s waist. A further search uncovered a Glock 35 .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine under the driver’s seat, along with three loaded magazines in the car.

Both men were arrested, and authorities later revealed that Squash had been observed by an FBI agent earlier that day receiving the Glock 19 from an individual under FBI surveillance.

Squash, who lacks legal status in the United States, was briefly placed in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), before being transferred to the Federal Detention Center, FDC, in Miami.