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Antonio Sledge, aka Mounk Tounk, a co-defendant and suspected YSL member, has signed a plea deal in the case against rapper Young Thug. On Wednesday, December 29, 2022, Sledge pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges to violate the racketeering act and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at a hearing in Atlanta, Georgia.
41-year-old Antonio Sledge's plea comes after rapper Sergio Kitchens, aka Gunna, was released from jail after taking the Alford plea deal earlier this month.
Antonio Sledge's deal states he gave up his right to plead for the fifth amendment
Antonio Sledge's negotiations concluded on Wednesday, where he confessed to being a part of the alleged criminal gang YSL (Young Slime Life) and agreed to testify in the trial.
In exchange for Sledge's testimony and giving up rights to the fifth amendment, the charge of possessing a firearm will be dropped. Moreover, prosecutors "recommend" that he serve 15 years of probation for violating the racketeering act.
Pleading for the fifth amendment refers to an individual’s right to refuse to answer any questions in a court that can self-incriminate them. This also means that Sledge must testify in "any trial emerging from the indictment."
During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love listed several charges that Sledge was accused of. He stated:
"Defendant has been a member and/or associate of YSL since 2012...While associated with YSL and to support and express loyalty to YSL, defendant and co-defendant Garlington and Zachary appeared in a video with another person where defendant brandished a weapon used in a drive-by shooting."
Antonio Sledge was the seventh co-defendant to take a plea deal at the time of writing this article.
As part of the negotiations for his guilty plea, Antonio Sledge must submit to a random drug test, possess no guns, and commit no criminal acts. Additionally, he must not be in contact with any co-defendants and must conform to a curfew of 10 pm to 6 am unless he is working, going to school, or has a medical emergency.
Prosecutors claim Thug's record label, YSL Records, is a front for a criminal organization
The YSL RICO case is against Jeffery Lamar Williams, aka Young Thug, and 27 others who were arrested under the indictment for allegedly partaking in gang-related activities, thereby violating Georgia's RICO Act laws (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations). Moreover, all 28 individuals are affiliated with Young Thug's record label, YSL Records (Young Stoner Life Records).
Prosecutors claim Young Thug's record label is a front for the criminal gang YSL (Young Slime Life), which was founded by the rapper in 2012. The record label often refers to the artist in its rooster as part of the "Slime Family." Furthermore, they assert that the gang is affiliated with the national Bloods gang.
In addition to Antonio Sledge and Gunna, musician Lil Duke, Young Thug’s brother Quantavious Grier, YSL co-founder Walter Murphy, Martinez Arnold, aka Duke, Antonio Sumlin, aka Obama, and Winnie Lee, aka Slimelife Shawty, also signed a plea deal. The total number of defendants is down to 21.
Following Young Thug's arrest, his attorney maintained that his client "committed no crime whatsoever."
The trial is set to begin on January 4, 2022.
