Prosecutors Drop Kai Cenat NYC Riot Charges in Exchange for Snapchat Apology and Damages

In August 2023, Popular online streamer Kai Cenat has been charged with two counts of inciting a riot after a giveaway he hosted in New York's Union Square descended into chaos, resulting in damage and safety concerns. Prosecutors have since decided to drop the charges against the 22-year-old in exchange for $55,000 in restitution and an apology.

The condition of withdrawal of charges, according to The New York Times, asked Cenat to publicly apologize and allow him to remain in public for 24 hours. The streamer posted his statement on Snapchat, which does not publicly share view counts or likes on story posts. The three-paragraph apology was published 14 hours ago, opening with an acknowledgment that the event created “an unsafe situation for people who live and work in the neighborhood, first responders and my followers who attended the event.”

Cenat added: “I'm from New York and I would never want to see the city turned upside down by unwanted, irresponsible and dangerous behavior. I wanted to do something cool and fun for people and I didn't think it would turn into something that would cause harm to the city and I should have thought more about the post before announcing it. The actions of some of those present were unacceptable. Under no circumstances is it okay to act physically in situations like this or to destroy property or try to harm people.”

The giveaway was hosted on August 4, when Cenat and partner Fanum told their audience that people showing up at Union Square Park would receive a free PlayStation 5. This type of mass gathering without a permit in a high-traffic area would normally require permits and a planned police presence, neither of which Cenat planned.

Cenat was charged along with Denzel Dennis and Muktar Din, who covered the balance after the streamer reimbursed the Union Square Partnership to cover landscaping and other repairs totaling $57,000. Dennis and Din are also expected to apologize, although their audience is not as large as Cenat's. The streamer has 9.5 million followers on Instagram and 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube.

“I never intended for it to get so out of control, and I've learned a valuable lesson that social media is a very powerful tool for doing good, but it can also cause dangerous unwanted situations if not used properly. “, concluded Cenat in his apology. “Going forward, I understand that with my platform and followers I have a huge responsibility and I must always think about the impact and consequences of my posts.”