Buju Banton was sentenced to 10 years in prison

Reggae singer Buju Banton was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday (June 23) for his role in a 2009 cocaine trafficking deal.

Ten years was the minimum sentence allowable, according to the Associated Press. A judge threw out a gun conviction which could have added five years to Banton's prison stint. Banton's attorney, David Markus, told the AP that with time served and good behavior, Banton could be out in six years.

"The days that lie ahead are filled with despair, but I have courage and grace and I'm hopeful, and that is sufficient to carry me through," Banton said in a statement. "The man is not dead. Don't call him a ghost."

Prosecutors acknowledged that Banton didn't put any money into, or get any out of, the drug deal and that his involvement was mainly talk. Banton's lawyer says he plans to appeal the ruling.