Deijae Devon Jester, the convicted killer of rapper Pop Smoke, has been sentenced to four additional years in county jail for smuggling fentanyl inside a Los Angeles juvenile detention facility.
Jester, 21, of Sylmar, received the sentence on Aug. 13 after pleading no contest on June 23 to three felony counts: possession for sale of a controlled substance, bringing contraband into a jail, and bringing or sending contraband into a juvenile hall or camp. The case originated from a Dec. 14 incident at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, where Jester was being held for the 2020 murder.
His mother, Nickia Tyonia Randall, allegedly visited him and attempted to pass him two latex balls containing fentanyl pills. Authorities recovered one of the balls and found 25 fentanyl pills inside. Randall was charged with the same three felony offenses, and her case was filed for warrant on Feb. 6. She remains at large and her case is still pending.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman issued a statement following Jester’s sentencing. “Deijae Jester committed a devastating crime when he took the life of Pop Smoke,” Hochman said. “Because he was a juvenile, the law afforded him an opportunity for redemption.”
The prosecutor continued his criticism of Jester’s conduct behind bars. “Instead of embracing that opportunity, he chose to traffic one of the deadliest drugs imaginable from inside a juvenile detention facility,” Hochman said. “He was given the chance at rehabilitation by serving seven years in a juvenile hall but he chose to smuggle in fentanyl. Now he faces multiple years in county jail. If you continue to commit serious crimes after being given a second chance, this office will hold you fully accountable. I hope others take notice before making the same destructive choices.”
Jester’s latest sentence comes more than six years after Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was gunned down during a home invasion at a rented Airbnb in the Hollywood Hills on Feb. 19, 2020. The Brooklyn drill pioneer had inadvertently posted the address of the mansion on social media, allowing a group of masked robbers to track him down. Five intruders entered through a second-story balcony at about 4:30 a.m. After a brief physical altercation, Pop Smoke was pistol-whipped and shot three times in the back.
Jester later confessed in juvenile court to firing the fatal shots. Because he was a juvenile, Jester was ordered to remain in a juvenile facility until age 25. The only adult in the group, Corey Walker, was 19 at the time of the killing. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home-invasion robbery and was sentenced to 29 years in state prison on Feb. 21. A 17-year-old accomplice pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion in April 2023 and received four years and two months in a secure youth facility. The final juvenile defendant was also convicted under separate plea deals.
Pop Smoke’s career earned major recognition after his death, including one BET Hip Hop Award, five Billboard Music Awards and one iHeartRadio Music Award. He also received two Grammy Award nominations.
Randall’s warrant remains active and authorities have not announced any upcoming court dates for her case.