Rapper Young Thug to be freed after pleading guilty in gang trial that lasted two years

Young Bandit changed his plea to guilty on Thursday (October 31), ending The gang trial, which has lasted for the last two years.

The 33-year-old Atlanta rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, was indicted in 2022 on charges related to his alleged leadership of the street gang YSL, or Young Slime Life.

Gang members are accused of committing illegal and violent acts, including murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking and car theft.

NBC News reports that this process became the longest criminal trial in the history of Georgia.

Earlier this week, three of Young Thug’s co-defendants Quamarvious Nichols, 29, Marcavius ​​Huey, 28, and Rodalius Ryan, 18, took plea deals after speculation that Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker might order a mistrial.

According to CNNWhitaker accepted Young Thug’s guilty plea and sentenced him to time served. Young Thug has been in prison since his arrest in May 2022 and will now be released from custody. He will have to serve 15 years of probation as part of an unresolved plea agreement.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis used Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to argue that Young Thug and his associates are a street gang with ties to the national Bloods gang.

Young Thug first achieved mainstream success with the single “Stoner” in 2014. He founded his own label, YSL Records, in 2016, released three chart-topping albums, and collaborated with Travis Scott, Post Malone, Meek Mill, Drake and others.

Back in January one of Young Thug’s former co-defendants testified that Young Thug and five others under investigation were members of the Young Slime Life gang.

Trontavius ​​Stevens, who also accepted a plea deal, took the stand in a Georgia courtroom and was asked by the prosecution, “Which of these defendants now in this courtroom are members of the YSL, Young Slime Life gang?”

“All of them,” Stevens responded, before referring to each of the men appearing in court by their nicknames.

The defense team argued that YSL is simply a music label that stands for Young Stoner Life.which contradicts prosecutors’ claims that YSL is a pro-Young Slime Life gang.

The lengthy trial has generated many viral moments. A video of Williams’ lawyer was circulated after he said his client’s song “Pusheen P” stood for “promoting positivity.”

The rapper himself made headlines when he wore wolf sweater after the prosecution called him the leader of the “pack” and cited The Jungle Book: “For the strength of the pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the pack.”