MIAMI — The Cuban rapper accused of attempting to solicit a murder-for-hire plot to avenge the killing of a fellow artist was found guilty in a Miami courtroom on Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Chocolate MC, whose legal name is Yosvanis Sierra Hernandez, schemed to kill Damian Valdez-Galloso, who is behind bars after being accused of murdering Cuban reggaeton star El Taiger. El Taiger, whose real name was Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar, died on Oct. 10, 2024, days after he was shot.

The 6-person jury convicted Sierra Hernandez of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch presided over the trial, which began and concluded on the same day.

When the verdict was read, Sierra Hernandez appeared to slam his hands on the table. His attorney put his hands over his mouth.

Last December, Sierra Hernandez “put a hit” on Valdez-Galloso, encouraging Miami-Dade inmates behind bars to kill him, prosecutor Daisy Delgado said during opening arguments. Sierra Hernandez did so through posts on Instagram — and during an interview posted on a social media account.

In the Spanish-language interview, Sierra Hernandez said, “I’m not kidding. I have the money. I’m ready to pay,” according to prosecutors.

Sierra Hernandez, Delgado said, offered inmates $20,000 in commissary — and increased the bounty to $100,000 days later.

“...The defendant wanted Damian’s head,” Delgado detailed. “The defendant wanted Damian to be stabbed in the hall, to be gutted.”

When delivering closing arguments, prosecutor George Bell flipped through a slideshow as he delved into the evidence in the case. He displayed a screenshot of an Instagram story, which included Valdez-Galloso’s mugshot and “100K” in text over the photo.

The post played Sierra Hernandez’s song “Pinchalo,” which in Cuba translates to “stab him.”

“This is a solicitation because it’s an announcement. It is an advertisement,” Bell said. “It’s classic solicitation.”

Bell urged the jury to find Sierra Hernandez guilty.

“This is not someone who is joking or performing,” the prosecutor said. “Even though he didn’t contact someone directly, he’s hoping someone sees the post so they do what he’s asking.”

Addressing the jury, defense attorney Adolfo Gil said Sierra Hernandez’s statements were a joke. He urged jurors to use their common sense when weighing the evidence.

“Every type of humor has its own culture,” Gil said. “I have no doubt that with this evidence, you will find the state has not met its burden.”

During closing arguments, Gil said Sierra Hernandez, who was suffering from a recent loss, made the posts as a joke — evidenced by how he tagged police on them.

No one believed the posts were serious enough to call police, Gil said.

“If it was intended to be a legitimate solicitation..., that’s not how you’d do it,” Gil said. “Use your common sense.”

Chocolate MC testified in trial

Sierra Hernandez took the stand in his own defense and denied attempting to get inmates to kill Valdez-Galloso. He teared up — and wiped his face with a tissue — as he spoke about El Taiger’s murder.

“I felt a lot of pain,” said Sierra Hernandez, who knew El Taiger for about 20 years. “I was not doing very well at the time.”

He was asked about his Instagram accounts, songs and lyrics. An interpreter translated his responses from Spanish to English for the jury. Sierra Hernandez said he had other artists attack him in diss tracks, and he returned fire in word battles.

Prosecutors focused on Sierra Hernandez’s song “Pinchalo.” Sierra Hernandez said his Instagram posts were intended to promote his new album.

At one point during the trial, Sierra Hernandez scribbled on his notepad, writing in Spanish “God is with me. Who is against me?”

Sierra Hernandez has been at the Metro West Detention Center, where he has been held without bond since June. He was arrested again after, police say, he held a fan who asked for a photo at gunpoint.

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