Young Thug Admits Guilt in Criminal Case, Concludes Georgia’s Lengthiest Criminal Trial
On Thursday, Oct. 31, Young Thug entered a guilty plea and received a sentence of time served along with 15 years of probation, concluding his nearly year-long racketeering trial in Atlanta, which stands as the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history.
A 33-year-old rapper, known as Jeffery Williams, reached a plea agreement with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Williams to 40 years, but the sentence was commuted to time served and probation, according to CNN and the Associated Press. He is set to be released from custody on Thursday and will need to complete 15 years of probation. If he breaks the terms of his probation, he faces a potential 20-year sentence, according to the judge’s decision.
Williams has accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to multiple charges, which include three related to drugs, two involving firearms, and one associated with gang activity. He also entered a no contest plea, which indicates he accepted the conviction without admitting guilt, for racketeering conspiracy and his involvement in a criminal street gang as a leader.
The rapper known for “Go Grazy” faced indictment in May 2022, alongside 27 others, including rapper Gunna, for breaching Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as RICO. The group faces allegations of involvement in a purported street gang known as Young Slime Life, or YSL, which shares a name with the popular artist’s label, Young Stoner Life Records. Members face allegations of various offenses, such as murder, armed robbery, drug dealing, and carjacking.
In August 2022, a second indictment was issued, adding six additional felony charges against Williams, according to the Associated Press.
Williams faced significant allegations, including links to the death of Donovan Thomas Jr., a gang rival who was killed in a drive-by shooting in January 2015. Prosecutors claim that Williams rented the vehicle involved in the shooting.
Since 2022, Williams has remained in custody, with attorneys submitting several motions for a mistrial, including one just last week. According to CNN, the process of selecting a jury lasted over a year.
The case involving Williams has been surrounded by controversy and drama, featuring the recusal of previous judges and the rapper’s attorney, Brian Steel, facing contempt of court charges.
According to Rolling Stone, if convicted at trial, Williams might have been looking at a maximum sentence of 120 years behind bars.
This week, three co-defendants of Young Thug — Quamarvious Nichols, 29, Marquavius Huey, 28, and Rodalius Ryan, 18 — accepted plea deals, according to CNN.