A Louisiana Grand Jury indicted rapper Mystikal on September 6 for first-degree rape charges after allegedly holding a woman against her will and assaulting and raping her in July at his home in Baton Rouge.

Michael Lawrence Taylor, more commonly known as Mystikal, is facing a mandatory life sentence if he’s found guilty because of Louisiana state law.

According to The Advocate, Mystikal is facing up to nine more charges on top of the first-degree rape charge, including criminal damage to property, false imprisonment, domestic abuse, battery by strangulation, robbery, and several drug possession charges as well. The possession charges pertain to heroin, illegal possession of Xanax, possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was held at Ascension Parish Prison without bail until his trial. Mystikal – 51 years old – maintains his innocence. 

“It’s an indictment,” Mystikal’s attorney Joel Pearce said after passing the indictment. “It means nothing. We look forward to our day in court.” He said.

Pearce noted that the charge means only that the jury found probable cause to continue onto a trial against the rapper and that an indictment means nothing about the outcome of his ruling.

Pearce told The Advocate that he wanted to examine the prosecutor’s case in a preliminary trial. He also had plans to try and have the judge reconsider holding his client without bond.

As previously reported, The alleged crime involves Mystikal holding a woman hostage in his home, assaulting her and strangling her over what the victim described as a financial dispute. She said that the former rapper wouldn’t let her leave by taking her car keys and continued to rape her, pull her braids out, and pray over her.