ATLANTA (CelebrityAccess) — The long-running RICO trial of Atlanta rapper Young Thug has drawn to a close after the 33-year-old artist changed to guilty, offering a no contest plea on multiple drug, drug, and gang charges.
After changing his plea to guilty, the rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams was sentenced to time served, along with 15 years of probation and released on Thursday afternoon, according to Fulton County jail records.
Williams was first arrested in 2022, alongside numerous others and accused of being a leader of the criminal organization Young Slime Life, an alleged Atlanta-area gang involved in drug dealing and other violent crime with connections to the the national crime syndicate The Bloods.
During his trial, Williams maintained he was not a leader of the gang and that the YSL acronym actually referred to his record label, Young Stoner Life Records.
Prosecutors recommended of 45 years, with 25 served in custody and an additional 20 years in probation but Williams was ultimately sentenced with 40 years, with the first five in prison, commuted to time served for the 900 days William has already spent in jail while on trial. He must also successfully complete a lengthy term of 15 years in probation with the potential to serve the remaining 20 years of his sentence if he fails to adhere to the terms of his release.
Williams is also required to avoid metro Atlanta for the next decade, make anti-gang public service presentations, perform 100 hours community service, and submit to random drug testing as part of his probation.
“Words can’t express the incredible happiness and relief I feel to learn of Jeffery’s freedom. There will be a time to discuss the criminalization of hip-hop lyrics and the use of bond denial as a weapon against defendants, but in this moment everyone should feel nothing but joy that this amazing artist and even better man can hug his children, parents, siblings, and other loved ones tonight,” said Kevin Lyles Former Chairman & CEO, 300 Elektra Entertainment; Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment. “We must always remember artists aren’t fictional characters. They’re human beings first. God bless Jeffery and his family.”
