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Jeffery Lamar Williams, a.k.a. Young Thug, was released from prison after he entered a non-negotiated plea in his long-running Georgia RICO case. On Thursday, October 31, 2024, the rapper was given a 40-year sentence, which included a 5-year jail stint, commuted to time served.
According to AP News, the Atlanta rapper pleaded guilty to six of the eight charges levied against him. This included a charge of participating in a street gang, two gun possession charges, and three drug-related charges. He pleaded no contest to charges of racketeering and leading YSL.
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For the unversed, law enforcement authorities arrested Young Thug and over two dozen others associated with his record label, YSL (Young Stoner Life), in May 2022 for violating Georgia's RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) laws. The rapper has been in prison since.
As per the indictment, YSL was a front for the criminal gang Young Slime Life led by Williams. According to the prosecutors, the gang was allegedly involved in several violent crimes like murder dating back to 2012.
Young Thug's YSL RICO trial has become the longest in Georgia's history
According to AP News, on Thursday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Young Thug to 40 years. This included 5 years in prison, which will be commuted to time served after he completes his probation, along with 15 years of probation and a 20-year backloaded sentence, only to be served if he violates his probation. Additionally, he was given 100 hours of community service during his probation.
For the unversed, commuted to time served means that the time he spent in jail before and during his trial would be reduced from his prison sentence.
The rapper's plea comes two and a half years after his arrest in May 2022 (for the charges of racketeering and participating in a criminal street gang). In August of the same year, he was given an additional six felony charges. Since then, the trial has met with several delays.
According to an October 2024 article by Billboard, the jury selection for the case began last January and took nearly ten months to finalize. The trial did not begin until November 2023. After the hearing began, prosecutors called hundreds of witnesses.
Billboard reported that the case faced further setbacks after one of the defendants was stabbed, and later, an incident involving a secret meeting with a key witness led to the presiding judge being removed from the case.
Per the publication, over the two and a half years, Young Thug's bail was denied several times for fear that he allegedly might intimidate witnesses. Further delays were caused due to several motions for mistrial filed since the beginning.
According to a July 2024 article by Rolling Stone, the YSL RICO trial has become the longest in Georgia's history.
Young Thug entered a non-negotiated plea after three co-defendants, Rodalius Ryan (a.k.a. Lil Rod), Marquavious Huey (a.k.a. Qua), and Quamarvious Nichols (a.k.a. Qua), all accepted plea deals.
Nine people accepted plea deals before the trial began, with twelve others being charged separately. Additionally, prosecutors dropped charges against one co-defendant who was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.
Two co-defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell, remain on trial.
