Crime Crime News Soulja Boy Released from Jail Nearly Five Months Early After Three Months Behind Bars The rapper was sentenced to 240 days in prison for violating probation stemming from a 2014 arrest By Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis Rachel DeSantis is a senior writer on the music team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2019, and her work has previously appeared in Entertainment Weekly and the New York Daily News. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 15, 2019 10:00AM EDT Soulja Boy. Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for TV Guide Soulja Boy has been released from jail nearly five months early after spending a little over three months behind bars for violating probation. The “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” rapper was freed just before 2 a.m. local time on Sunday from a Los Angeles jail, where he’d been since April 11, due to expiration, online records show. Soulja, 28, was initially sentenced to 240 days but was released 146 days early due to a combination of good behavior, time served and overcrowding, TMZ reported. The rapper’s legal woes began in 2014 when he was arrested on charges of carrying a loaded gun in public, according to USA Today. He received probation in the case, which was reportedly extended in December 2016 after he was arrested again and found to be in possession of another firearm. He pleaded no contest in April 2017 to two counts of felony weapons possession charges and one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property. TMZ reported he cut a deal at the time that called for five years of probation and 240 days of community service. RELATED VIDEO: Blac Chyna and Soulja Boy Are Dating, Source Says In February, police raided his home to investigate a claim of a kidnapping and assault of an ex-girlfriend. While in his home, they allegedly found ammunition, which violated his probation. Soulja Boy Sentenced to 240 Days in Jail for Violating Weapons Probation: Report Online records show he was arrested March 15 for probation violations related to the raid, though he was released several hours later on his own recognizance. Soulja, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was taken into custody again on April 11 and later that month received a sentence of 240 days in jail and 265 days of community service for violating probation, according to TMZ. Soulja Boy. Lester Cohen/AMA2011/WireImage The judge also ruled that the rapper violated probation by allegedly trying to falsify evidence that would prove he completed the mandatory community service he was sentenced to, The Blast reported. Soulja Boy Arrested for Allegedly Violating Probation, Rapper is Being Held Without Bail TMZ also reported at the time that a Los Angeles judge told the rapper he’d originally considered a two-year sentence but was lenient due to the business opportunities he’d be missing out on behind bars. A rep for Soulja did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Close