The man suspected of murdering Jam Master Jay was slammed with 17 years in prison, but it wasn't for killing the legendary DJ.

According to New York's Daily News, Ronald "Tinard" Washington was sentenced in an unrelated robbery charge yesterday (April 23). Prosecutors asked Brooklyn Federal Judge Nina Gershon to consider Jay's unsolved murder in the sentencing but she refused.

As previously reported Washington confessed about the killing to his ex-girlfriend, yet murder charges were never brought against him.

"One might think if it was such an overwhelming [murder] case, someone would have prosecuted him, instead of hanging a murder on a string of robberies with a BBgun," Gershon said.

Prosecutors contend that Washington and an unnamed associate entered JMJ's studio on October 30, 2002 and Washington "pointed his gun at those present in the studio, ordered them on the ground and provided cover for his associate to shoot and kill Jay," according to a letter the lawyers provided to the judge.

Washington was convicted on April 5 of six armed robberies for holdups he committed in November 2002, just weeks after JMJ's murder. He denied any involvement in the killing.

He's also suspected as the shooter of Tupac associate Randy "Stretch" Walker, who was attacked a year to the day after the Pac was attacked at Quad Studios.

DJ Jam Master Jay was a member of Run-DMC, the first rap group to attract a worldwide audience. He made history alongside group members Joe "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels as the trio's 1984 debut album featuring the hit singles "It's like That" and "Sucker MCs," became the first rap album to attain gold status.