Deijae Jester, one of the individuals convicted in the 2020 murder of Pop Smoke, has been sentenced to four years in prison following a new conviction for smuggling fentanyl into a Los Angeles County juvenile detention facility. The sentencing, which took place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, follows Jester’s no-contest plea regarding the possession of 25 fentanyl-laced pills.
According to reports, the contraband was introduced into the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in December 2025 during a visit from Jester’s mother, Nickia Randall. Surveillance footage and recorded communications between the two reportedly confirmed that the smuggling attempt was a coordinated effort. Guards intercepted the exchange, discovering a blue balloon containing the pills and a small amount of blue powder.
Jester was originally convicted in 2023 for his role in the February 2020 home invasion in the Hollywood Hills that resulted in the death of the Brooklyn rapper. Evidence presented during his initial trial revealed that Jester, who was 15 at the time of the incident, was the individual who shot the artist three times in the back. Following his conviction, he had been serving time at a juvenile facility in Sylmar.
During the recent sentencing hearing, prosecutors requested the maximum five-year term. However, defense counsel highlighted Jester’s difficult upbringing and his academic progress, including efforts to complete his high school diploma while incarcerated. Judge P. Tamu Usher ultimately imposed a four-year sentence. Because California law prohibits holding juveniles past the age of 25, this new conviction will result in Jester’s transfer to a state prison facility.
The legal proceedings surrounding the murder of Pop Smoke have been extensive. Corey Walker, who was 19 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to 29 years in prison in 2025. Another individual involved, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, received a sentence of four years and two months in juvenile detention after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion burglary in 2023. The case against a third individual, Keandre Rodgers, remains under reassessment.
