Introduction
The sentence announcement session in the trial of rapper Young Thug and five other defendants on charges of participating in a criminal gang and other offenses begins today, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis claims that the Grammy-winning rapper led a gang involved in criminal activities including alleged murders.
Key Facts
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, was charged in May 2022 along with 27 other defendants from “YSL” or “Young Slime Life,” which prosecutors allege is a “criminal street gang” that maintains its power and reputation through acts including “murder, assault, and threats of violence.”
The indictment accuses gang members, which Williams allegedly started in 2012 in the Cleveland Avenue area of Atlanta, of crimes including aggravated assault, armed robbery, carjacking, participating in street gang activities, and drug possession, all of which are considered part of a racketeering conspiracy.
Only six defendants will go to trial today after the cases of others were detailed or they reached plea agreements: Williams, Markevious Hargrove, Diamonté Kendrick (also known as Yak Gotti), Quavares Nichols, Rodalius Ryan, and Shannon Steelwell.
The sentencing announcement session today follows a jury selection process in the case that has lasted from January until November 1.
Williams faces charges of conspiring to participate in a criminal gang, participating in street gang activities, possession of codeine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of an automatic weapon, and while he has not been charged with murder, prosecutors allege that he rented a car used in the murder of a rival gang member.
Williams has strongly denied the charges against him and also denied that YSL is a criminal gang, with his attorney Bryan Steel telling local media WXIA that the client is “wrongfully accused on every charge” and describing Williams as “an amazing person, coming from hunger, poverty, and lack of opportunity.”
What to Watch For
The trial is scheduled to last for at least six months, and Williams faces life in prison if convicted on all charges. Several famous rappers may testify truthfully during the trial, including Lil Wayne, Killer Mike, and T.I., according to potential witness lists submitted by the prosecution and defense.
Surprising Fact
The prosecution’s case includes evidence of YSL gang activities and Williams’s leadership of the gang, including rap lyrics that Williams has said such as “Come and enroll in YSL school, I swear I’m the principal” and “I didn’t kill anyone, but I have something to do with this body.” The judge overseeing the case allowed the use of rap lyrics in the trial after a hearing in November, but the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials has been contentious, with critics including Jay-Z and Meek Mill arguing it is an act of systematic racism violating artists’ freedom of expression. Some states, including California and Louisiana, have enacted laws restricting the use of rap lyrics in criminal trial cases, and a murder conviction in California was overturned after the judge decided not to use rap lyrics in the prosecution’s case.
Main Background
Williams has released three albums and collaborated on several songs as Young Thug, winning a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2019 for the song “This Is America” with rapper Childish Gambino and receiving five other Grammy nominations between 2020 and 2023. The 32-year-old artist established YSL Records in 2016, which prosecutors allege is a front for criminal gang activities, and released his third album “Business is Business” while being held in jail on fraud charges in Georgia. The album reached number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Williams’s request for bail before the trial has been denied several times, most recently in July.
From
Among the seven defendants who were granted pretrial plea agreements is rapper Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens. He was released from jail in December 2022 after he was allowed to plead guilty to the charges against him without the need to go to trial. Another defendant who pleaded guilty, Antonio Sledge (also known as “Monk Tonk”), stated in court in December 2022 that he participated in gang activities as part of YSL and was paid by Williams to stay out of sight after another YSL member killed a rival gang member.
Additional Information
Willis is using the same fraud statute she employed to charge former President Donald Trump and his allies for their attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump’s attorney in that case, Steve Sadow, previously represented Gunna in the Young Thug case.
Further Reading
5 Things to Know About Young Thug and the YSL RICO Case (CNN)
Everything We Know About the YSL RICO Case (Vulture)
Jury Formed After Nearly a Year in Young Thug YSL Trial (Fox 5 Atlanta)
Fraud Charges: What You Need to Know About the Organized Crime Law Used to Charge Trump and 18 Allies in Georgia (Forbes)
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