Mystikal Indicted For First-Degree Rape, Faces Life In Prison

On Wednesday (September 8), Mystikal, born Michael Tyler, was indicted by a grand jury in Ascension Parish, Louisiana on sexual assault charges. His indictment includes the first-degree rape of a woman back in July. If convicted, the rapper—who is already a lifetime registered sex offender—could face up to life in prison.

“It’s an indictment,” Tyler’s attorney Joel Pearce told reporters on Tuesday (September 7). “It means nothing. We look forward to our day in court.”

Mystikal has remained behind bars since his arrest on July 31. He was booked and charged with three misdemeanors: false imprisonment, criminal damage to property worth less than $1,000, and prohibited acts of drug paraphernalia.

According to Baton Rouge’s WBRZ, the alleged victim of Mystikal’s abuse is an acquaintance who was visiting him in Prairieville, La. The rapper reportedly accused the woman of taking $100 cash from him before punching her, pulling out her hair and proceeding to take her keys and phone to keep her from leaving.

The victim claims she tried to help Mystikal find the money and discovered a “crystalline substance” in his dresser. She then alleges he prayed with her and splashed her with rubbing alcohol to cleanse her “bad spirits,” after which he forced her onto a bed and raped her. The woman eventually escaped and went to the hospital and called the police.

According to XXL, Xanax, heroin and marijuana were later discovered at Mystikal’s home by police officers. Detectives also reportedly found the woman’s hair and a broken fingernail at the residence. As a result of the discovered drugs, Mystikal now faces an additional five charges, including possession of schedule II amphetamine, possession of schedule IV controlled dangerous substance, two counts of possession of schedule I controlled dangerous substance and drug paraphernalia.

In 2004, Mystikal was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery. He, along with his bodyguards, allegedly forced a hairstylist to perform oral sex on all of them. The assault was reportedly an alternative for not turning her into authorities for cashing $80,000 worth of unauthorized checks from the rapper’s bank account.

Upon his release in 2010, the New Orleans native was registered as a sex offender in Louisiana. Two years later, he was back behind bars following a domestic abuse battery charge and a probation violation. He was charged again in August 2017 for alleged rape and sexual assault against a woman at a Shreveport casino. He was held on a $3,000,000 bail, but charges were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence.

Mystikal is currently in police custody without the possibility of bail.