American rapper Young Thug will be released from prison after pleading guilty to gang, drug and gun charges, in a dramatic development that could end the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history.
The 33-year-old Grammy winner, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, has spent more than 900 days in jail since his arrest on racketeering and gang-related charges.
In May 2022, prosecutors accused the rap label he founded of being a front for an organized crime syndicate responsible for “75 to 80 percent of violent crime” in Atlanta.
He was sentenced Thursday to time served and 15 years probation.
“I take full responsibility for my crimes, for my charges,” Mr. Williams told the court.
“To everyone who was actually involved in this situation, I want to say sorry.”
In his five-minute speech, he described himself as “a good guy with a good heart” who finds himself “having a lot of things just because I’m nice or cool”.
“And I understand that you can’t be like that when you reach a certain height because it could end badly… and it could fall on you.”
Prosecutors plan to recommend a sentence of 45 years, including 25 years in prison and 20 years of probation.
But plea negotiations were unsuccessful, and Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker instead chose his punishment, commuting the sentence to time he had already served, paving the way for repayment freedom for him.
“I want you to try to be more of a solution and less of a problem,” Judge Whitaker told him.
As part of the agreement, Mr. Williams pleaded guilty to one gang-related charge, three drug-related charges and two gun-related charges.
He also pleaded no contest to leading a gang and violating the state’s RICO Act, meaning he decided not to contest those charges and accept the punishment for them.
Judge Whitaker also imposed an additional 100 hours of community service, a ban on contact with gang members or former associates, and a ban on remaining in the Atlanta metropolitan area for the first 10 years of a 15-year probation period. except in special circumstances – including weddings, funerals and the anti-gang and anti-gun lectures he has to give four times a year.
Thursday’s change of plea would likely end a multi-defendant case plagued by delays, courtroom disturbances and mistrial motions.
When the man known to fans as “Thugger” was arrested in May 2022, prosecutors charged him and 27 associates at his rap label – Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records – with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, famously used in mafia prosecutions.
Arguing that YSL in fact stands for a criminal gang called Young Slime Life, they have tied men – including rap superstar Gunna – to a series of serious crimes, including murder , armed robbery and carjacking on the streets of Atlanta.
But the indictment drew widespread outrage over prosecutors’ use of YSL’s rap lyrics as evidence of the gang’s criminal actions and intent. Critics say the charges violate rappers’ free speech rights and are part of a growing attack on the black-dominated art form.
Several of Mr. Williams’ co-defendants pleaded guilty or had their cases dropped, and one even had his charges dropped following an unrelated murder conviction – and by the time the trial began, only six defendants.
Jury selection begins in January 2023 and lasts nearly 10 months.
In July this year, The trial was postponed indefinitelyy after Mr. Williams’ lawyers asked the previous judge to recuse himself over allegations of misconduct.
Attorneys say Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville held an “inappropriate” meeting on June 10 when he met privately with prosecutors and a key witness.
They claimed that Judge Glanville sought to pressure the witness to testify and that his lawyers pressured him to recuse himself, moves the judge rejected.
Mr Williams’ lead lawyer, Brian Steel, was also found guilty of criminal contempt in June this year after refusing to reveal how he learned about the meeting.
The trial also saw some unusual circumstances, including the arrest of a Fulton County deputy for allegedly attempting to smuggle contraband to a defendant.
In another case, the court’s Zoom account was hacked by an apparent supporter of Mr. Williams, who shouted “Free Thug!”.
Earlier this week, three of Mr. Williams’s co-defendants in the case pleaded guilty.
The two remaining defendants in the case, Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, reportedly plan to continue with trial.
