A Timeline of Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial

Younger Thug’s arrest despatched shockwaves by way of the rap group. On Might 9, 2022, the YSL rapper was apprehended together with 27 different alleged gang members as a part of a sprawling 56-count indictment. Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis alleged that Thug – born Jeffery Williams – was the chief of the Younger Slime Life operation and dubbed him “King Slime.” 

Thugger was hit with fees for allegedly collaborating in violent road actions and conspiring to violate the RICO Act. He was tied to accusations of homicide, assault, theft, theft, gun possession, unlawful drug possession and extra across the Atlanta space since 2012.

Lower than 48 hours after Thug was taken into custody, Gunna – born Sergio Kitchens – turned himself in. The YSL rapper was charged with one depend of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. 

“Mr. Sergio Kitchens, generally known as Gunna, is harmless. The indictment falsely portrays his music as a part of prison conspiracy,” Gunna’s attorneys Donald F. Samuel, John A. Garland and Kristen W. Novay stated in a joint assertion.

Thug’s Buckhead, Ga., dwelling was raided by police on the time of his arrest in Might. The medication and weapons reportedly recovered by authorities resulted in an extra seven felonies being tacked onto his fees, together with possessing unlawful firearms and possessing medication with intention to distribute.

Younger Thug obtained a bond listening to a month after being arrested, however he was denied bail. Prosecutors labeled him the top of the operation and the “most harmful” a part of the alleged gang, and argued he shouldn’t be allowed to have entry to the streets once more. Additionally they feared witness intimidation may very well be in play if Thug walked out of jail. Thug’s workforce tried to argue that he was wanted at dwelling as a father and a pillar of the Atlanta group, to no avail. 

His requests for bail have been repeatedly denied, with the fourth request being rejected July 2023.

Gunna spent his twenty ninth birthday behind bars however launched a press release on social media proclaiming his innocence within the case with the RICO cost levied in opposition to him. “For now, I don’t have my freedom,” he wrote partially. “However I’m harmless. I’m being falsely accused and can by no means cease combating to clear my identify!”

The YSL rapper added within the caption of the submit: “22 & 2, only a mattress & a bathe, no home windows simply partitions. Can’t see or discuss to anybody. I’m writing now & nonetheless praying on a regular basis. I used to be raised to battle hearth with water, even tho my nation’s amendments have failed me! PROTECT BLACK ART!”

See his full assertion beneath:

Younger Thug confronted six extra felony fees as a brand new indictment hit Fulton County Superior Court docket in August 2023, per the Related Press. The brand new fees stemmed from the raid of Thug’s Buckhead dwelling in Might 2022 throughout his arrest.

In accordance with the Atlanta Journal-Structure, Thug faces adjustments for collaborating in prison road gang exercise, violation of the Georgia Managed Substances Act, firearm possession throughout a felony, possession of a machine gun and drug fees.

Thug’s legal professional, Brian Metal, maintained his consumer’s innocence. “Mr. Williams has dedicated completely no crimes,” Metal advised the AJC. “We can not watch for a trial date.”

Gunna entered an Alford Plea deal in December 2022, which basically imply he can plead responsible whereas sustaining his innocence. 

The YSL rapper ended up pleading responsible to the only conspiracy RICO cost in opposition to him and obtained a suspended sentence of 5 years behind bars; Gunna was launched as a result of he was credited with one yr of time served.

“Whereas I’ve agreed to at all times be truthful, I need to make it completely clear that I’ve NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or in opposition to any occasion within the case and have completely NO intention of being concerned within the trial course of in any method,” the rapper stated in a press release after the plea deal.

Gunna laid low for a lot of the primary month since regaining his freedom as snitching allegations flooded social media. The “Fukumean” rapper spoke out on social media with a photograph of himself at his dwelling studio, and declared himself again and known as for Younger Thug’s freedom.

“N—-s appearing like they switching to a aspect But it surely’s just one aspect,” he wrote. “#YsltheLabel #FreeThug&Yak GUNNA BACC!!!!!”

YSL co-defendant Kahlieff Adams walked throughout the Fulton County courtroom for an alleged narcotics trade with Younger Thug throughout a court docket listening to. Nonetheless, Thug is off the hook and Adams was hit with new fees after being present in possession of extra medication by deputies following the alleged contraband hand-off.

Thug fell unwell throughout a Might 2023 court docket continuing and was hospitalized briefly. Particulars of his state of affairs weren’t supplied as a consequence of medical privateness legal guidelines. “I do know he’s had some issue of an analogous type on the Cobb County Jail just a few months in the past, and so I’m clearly involved about his wellbeing,” Thug’s legal professional stated to the decide.

Younger Thug’s authorized workforce had beforehand complained that the rapper was affected by exhaustion in jail throughout an April 2023 listening to. 

“Mr. Williams is sleep disadvantaged, mandated to get up on court docket days between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. and never having greater than 5 hours of sleep per night time,” his attorneys stated. “By the tip of the week, Mr. Williams is combating to concentrate to the goings on in his case.”

Gunna returned along with his A Reward & a Curse album in June 2023. The undertaking arrived freed from options and included his Scorching 100 hit “Fukumean.” The LP served as his first since 2022’s DS4EVER and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 85,000 album equal items bought within the first week. 

Per week after Gunna returned, Thug dropped his Enterprise Is Enterprise album whereas nonetheless incarcerated – his first from behind bars. The LP debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 89,000 album items and was a star-studded affair, that includes appearances from Drake, Future, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert and extra. 

Regardless of hours of deliberation and arguments from the protection, Decide Ural Glanville dominated that lyrics weren’t protected by the First Modification. Seventeen units of lyrics will probably be used in opposition to Younger Thug and his YSL co-defendants as a part of the case. 

“They’re not prosecuting your shoppers due to the songs they wrote,” Glanville stated. “They’re utilizing the songs to show different issues your shoppers could have been concerned in. I don’t assume it’s an assault on free speech.”

The much-delayed trial lastly started on Nov. 27, 2023, and Thug’s legal professional Brian Metal delivered the primary viral second of the trial when he shocked viewers and the prosecution along with his alternate definition of his consumer’s creative moniker, which he outlined as “Really Humble Below God.” He additionally defined that “Pushin P” was simply “pushing positivity” and YSL was named after the Yves Saint Laurent clothier. 

YSL co-defendant Shannon Stillwell was stabbed a number of instances at Fulton Nation Jail by one other inmate who entered his cell. Stillwell survived his accidents after being stabbed within the again, abdomen and shoulder. He is without doubt one of the six YSL defendants left within the case heading to trial.

Per WSB-TV, inmate Willie Brown admitted to stabbing Stillwell a number of instances after taking the knife out of Stillwell’s arms. “I went into his room and he [Stillwell] pulled out a knife on me and [I] took it from him and stabbed him with it,” Brown reportedly advised investigators.

Trontavious Stephens took the witness stand after agreeing to a plea cope with eight years of probation. Stephens — who additionally goes by Tick and Slug — recognized himself, Younger Thug and Walter Murphy because the founding members of YSL, although he gave the prosecution hassle whereas having a troublesome time recalling sure occasions when he took the stand on Jan. 3, 2024.

Stephens claimed on the stand the following day that YSL was a file label first earlier than something and appeared to be a constructive evolution of the Raised on Cleveland road gang, which has Blood ties. “YSL is a music label. Music occurred first. That was the method,” he stated, in keeping with 11Alive. “Music.”

Thug’s authorized workforce turned the tables after they performed Wealthy Gang’s “Way of life” – Thug’s 2014 breakout hit – in an try to persuade the jury this was merely artwork and he had no authentic gang ties. Whereas others wore Bloods-colored clothes within the extravagant music video, Thugger didn’t have on an oz. of purple. Thug didn’t have a lot of any response to the observe being performed in court docket.

This marked one other second from the trial that caught hearth on social media and went viral. 

Lawyer Nicole Fegan represented a former co-defendant of the YSL trial named Tenquarius Mender, and was herself arrested in court docket on fees associated to a separate 2022 Atlanta gang taking pictures. She was charged with collaborating in prison road gang exercise and proof tampering.

Fegan has been accused of telling the alleged gunman to eliminate the homicide weapon, and he or she allegedly made contact with a separate defendant about an energetic arrest warrant, per The Atlanta Journal-Structure.

Mender’s case was separated from Younger Thug’s in Might 2023, and will probably be tried individually.

The prosecution performed a 911 cellphone name in court docket made by an nameless lady on Sept. 11, 2013, during which she recognized Younger Thug because the gunman in a taking pictures of a mutual buddy. “They got here to my home and advised me that the man who shot any person’s identify was Younger Thug, whoever that’s imagined to be,” she might be heard saying. 

Prosecutors known as Adrien Bean to the stand to get his testimony about his feedback concerning Younger Thug’s alleged gang ties, which Bean made when he was arrested in connection to a drive-by taking pictures. 

Nonetheless, the listening to took a flip when Bean claimed he was intoxicated and urged court docket personnel to carry him a bottle of water. “Can I get a water or one thing? I’m so excessive proper now, y’all, I’m about to fall asleep on y’all now. I’m,” Bean stated.

Decide Glanville granted Bean’s request and allowed him to complete testifying.

Thug’s attorneys filed a movement to have Fulton County Assistant District Lawyer Adriane Love taken off the YSL RICO trial, however the request was denied by Decide Glanville, in keeping with WSB-TV. Thug’s lawyer, Brian Metal, believed that Love was “constantly” injecting herself as an unsworn witness within the case together with her strategies of questioning the alleged sufferer of a 2013 theft on the stand. Love began statements with “Isn’t it true you advised me,” which Thug’s workforce took subject with.

Nonetheless, the requests to have Love take the stand or off the case altogether had been denied.