Under RICO laws, that makes him culpable for the actions of others. Williams is called the “organizer, supervisor or other position of management or leadership of the criminal street gang YSL,” per the indictment. People who oversee a criminal enterprise but may not be directly involved with crimes themselves. RICO laws were historically used to go after difficult-to-prosecute suspects like Mafia bosses or white-collar criminals. (According to Willis, it was this killing that sparked an even greater conflict between YSL and YFN, a rap crew led by the rapper YFN Lucci that is also rolled up in a RICO case that uses Lucci’s lyrics as evidence in the initial indictment.) But the more serious, and more nebulous charge is that he is a leader. Williams is directly charged with multiple illegal drug and gun charges stemming from a May 9 raid on his home. He has been accused of allegedly renting the car used in a drive-by murder of a man named Donovan Thomas in 2015. “If you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m going to use it,” she said at a press conference in September. Willis has used lyrics from Young Thug songs, and other artists associated with YSL, to support her allegation that YSL is more than a rap crew. The strategy employed in her case against YSL has also been particular. With his trial, Young Thug joins Youngboy NeverBrokeAgain, Drakeo The Ruler, Bobby Shmurdah, Tay-K, and Tekashi SixNine-all have had their lyrics used against them in court over the last decade. In Atlanta, she may be more well-known for her aggressive prosecution of street gangs, who Willis has said are “committing conservatively 75 to 80 percent of all of the violent crime.” (Willis has not offered evidence for this statistic). Her national profile has grown as Willis has led the investigation into Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential election. The prosecutor bringing the charges is Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (Young Thug is being held in Cobb County jail because of safety concerns), a Black woman elected in 2020 who has become a celebrity of sorts for her dogged pursuit of two distinct targets: Trump and gangs. But it has been more notable for other reasons, too. Williams’ longtime attorney Brian Steele has denied all charges and maintained his client’s innocence.Īny trial of Young Thug would make national news. Eight defendants, including Williams’ top musical protege Sergio Kitchens-better known as Gunna-have already taken plea deals. The indictment claims that Young Stoner Life (YSL)-the record label and rap crew that Young Thug founded in 2016 and that is made up largely of friends and family members-is a criminal street gang associated with the Bloods. Widely considered one of the most stylistically innovative rappers of his generation, Williams has been charged, along with 27 others, with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act. The 31-year-old, born Jeffery Lamar Williams, is facing charges that could send him to prison for twenty years. Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.įor nearly a year, the rapper Young Thug has been behind bars in Cobb County, Georgia.
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