Pop Smoke’s Underage Killer Gets Four More Years: Mother Tried to Bring Him Fentanyl in Juvenile Hall
The 21-year-old was given a new sentence following prosecutors’ claims that fentanyl pills were handed to him during a visit at a juvenile facility in Los Angeles County.
Deijae Jester, who was convicted as a juvenile for the murder of Pop Smoke during a robbery in Hollywood Hills in 2020, has been sentenced again after authorities reported that he possessed fentanyl in a juvenile facility in Los Angeles County.
Jester was sentenced to four years on August 13 after pleading no contest to three felony charges related to fentanyl discovered at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, as reported by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. On June 23, he entered a plea of no contest to charges of possession for sale of a controlled substance, bringing contraband into a jail, and bringing or sending contraband into a juvenile hall or camp.
Prosecutors indicated that the new case involving Deijae Jester originates from a visit by his mother, Nickia Tyonia Randall, on December 14, 2025. The District Attorney’s Office claims that Randall tried to give her son two latex balls filled with fentanyl pills. Authorities recovered one of the balls, revealing it contained 25 fentanyl pills.
The Los Angeles Times reported that guards observed Randall attempting to pass Jester a blue balloon during the visit. Investigators subsequently examined earlier visits and documented phone conversations that prosecutors claimed revealed discussions regarding the introduction of contraband into the facility. The Times also reported that prosecutors aimed for the maximum five-year term, while Jester’s defense highlighted his challenging childhood and achievements during incarceration, including obtaining his high school diploma.
The fentanyl case introduces a new development in the ongoing criminal proceedings related to Pop Smoke’s death on February 19, 2020. Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was just 20 years old when masked intruders broke into the Hollywood Hills residence he was renting. Court testimony revealed that the 15-year-old Jester struck the rapper with a pistol during a confrontation and shot him three times in the back. A diamond-studded watch that belonged to Pop Smoke was subsequently sold for $2,000, as stated in the testimony.
Jester was found guilty in the Pop Smoke case in 2023, as indicated by the sentencing records examined by the Los Angeles Times. Due to his age at the time of the incident, his case was processed through the juvenile system. Corey Walker, an adult defendant in the case, subsequently pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of robbery. AP reported that Walker was sentenced to 29 years in prison as part of his plea agreement.
Pop Smoke’s influence continued to expand following his passing. The Brooklyn rapper played a significant role in bringing New York drill into the mainstream with tracks like “Welcome to the Party” and “Dior.” His posthumous debut album, “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” made a remarkable entrance at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in July 2020.
Randall faces three felony charges related to the purported fentanyl handoff. The District Attorney’s Office stated that her case is still pending, which means the court has yet to prove the allegations against her.
