Reggaetón icon Raphy Pina surrendered himself to the feds today. On Thursday afternoon (August 13), a federal grand jury indicted the Puerto Rican executive on charges of illegal firearms possession because of restrictions from a prior conviction, El Nuevo Dia reports.
Rafael Pina Nieves, who professionally goes by Raphy Pina, is most known as the label owner of Pina Records and the manager to artists like Daddy Yankee and Natti Natasha. Through a video conference hearing in Puerto Rico, Pina declared that he was not guilty. A $1 million dollar bond was set and his passport was ordered to be removed.
According to El Vocero, from April 1 or close to that date, Pina possessed a Glock model 19 pistol, caliber nine millimeters, a Smith & Wesson pistol, model SD40, and ammunition for .40 caliber pistols, 5.7 caliber pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The Glock pistol was modified to an automatic firearm.
If Pina is found guilty of these charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison per each count of illegal possession. His defense attorney claims the firearms and ammunition were found in a safe located inside a residence where Pina does not live. He was residing in Miami.
In a video posted to Instagram last night, Pina asserted his innocence, saying, “I am not afraid of anything and I have nothing to hide in my life, no matter how much they want to judge me.” Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and Natasha wrote messages standing in solidarity with Pina.
Pina’s prior felony conviction is from when he pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud in 2016 and was sentenced to two years’ probation and a $150,000 fine. This was part of his court proceedings from a 2012 case where the FBI indicted him and three others for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering.
The Feds apparently had an eye on Pina in April when two properties reportedly owned by him in the neighborhood of Caguas Real were raided by the FBI.