News out of Tampa Bay, Florida, states that imprisoned reggae star Buju Banton has made a deal with prosecutors that eliminates a pending gun charge, which could see him freed in less than four years.

The deal is that he will halt the filing of appeals, according the Tampa Bay Times. In exchange, the United States will stop trying to hold him accountable for a gun allegedly carried by another man in the cocaine conspiracy that sent the reggae artiste away for a decade.

Banton, whose real name is Mark Myrie, could have faced an additional five years if he had been convicted.

Instead, he will be deported to Jamaica after his scheduled January 2019 release from prison, the US Attorney's Office said on Thursday in announcing the settlement - which was approved by the US District Judge James S. Moody earlier this week.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, nearly two years ago, Judge Moody threw out a 2011 conviction on the gun count after finding that a juror had inappropriately researched a legal theory relating to the charge.

Banton hoped that the verdicts would have been tossed too, but recently lost an appeal, returning the matter to Florida.

According to the website of the Federal Bureau of Prison's inmate locator, the 41-Mark Anthony Myrie is being held at a privately operated correctional facility in McRae, Georgia.

- C.B.