Young Thug pleads guilty as part of ‘blind plea’ in YSL trial, convicted

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, has taken a non-negotiated plea deal in the YSL RICO trial and will soon be released from prison.

Williams was sworn into court during the plea hearing on Thursday shortly after 4 p.m.

The 33-year-old Grammy-winning artist was unable to reach an agreement with prosecutors after negotiations between the two sides collapsed, lead prosecutor Adriane Love said. That leaves the punishment entirely up to the judge.

Williams was charged with conspiracy to violate RICO, two counts of engaging in criminal street gang activity, three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a machine gun. He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two weapons charges, but has also entered a plea of ​​no contest to another gang charge and a racketeering charge, meaning he decided to plead no contest to those charges and is accepting punishment for them .

The prosecutor is asking for 45 years in prison, of which 25 years. The defense is asking for 45 years in prison, with five years in prison, commuted to prison and house arrest for the remainder, and 40 years of probation. The judge heard from Love and defense attorney Brian Steel before making a sentencing decision.

Ultimately, the judge sentenced him to 40 years, with the first five years served in prison, but this was commuted to prison time. He will then serve a probationary period of fifteen years, during which he must report to a probation officer for the first half. Additionally, he faces 20 years in prison after probation if he fails to complete his probation.

He must leave the metro Atlanta area 48 hours after his release and stay away for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illnesses of family members, the judge said.

She also ordered him to return to the Atlanta area four times a year during his probation to give a live presentation against gangs and gun violence at a school or community organization that serves children. She said this could count toward the 100 hours of community service she assigned him each year while on probation.

Love had outlined to the judge the evidence she would have presented to prove Young Thug’s guilt, including some of his rap lyrics. She asked the judge to sentence him to 45 years, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 years on probation.

The rapper’s lead attorney, Brian Steel, said they “strongly disagree” with many of Love’s statements and said it was “offensive” for the state to use Young Thug’s lyrics against him.

Steel said the evidence against his client is weak and accused prosecutors of misrepresenting and concealing evidence, saying Young Thug had been “falsely accused.” Steel said he told his client he thought they were winning the trial and should move on to a jury verdict.

“But he told me, ‘I can’t wait another three months if there’s any way I can go home because I have kids that are hurting. I have things to do,'” Steel said.

Steel asked the judge to impose a 45-year sentence, with five prison sentences commuted to prison and 40 years’ probation.

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Young Thug, a hugely successful rapper, started his own record label, Young Stoner Life or YSL. Prosecutors have said he also co-founded a violent criminal street gang and that YSL stands for Young Slime Life.

He was charged two years ago in a sweeping indictment accusing him and more than two dozen other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He was also charged with gang, drug and gun crimes.

Young Thug’s plea comes nearly a year after prosecutors began introducing evidence in the trouble-plagued trial. Jury selection at the Atlanta courthouse began in January 2023 and lasted nearly ten months. The trial of six defendants began last November with opening statements, and prosecutors have since called dozens of witnesses.

Non-negotiated plea deal explained

A non-negotiated plea deal, often called a “blind plea” or “open plea”, is an arrangement in which a suspect pleads guilty without a prearranged sentencing agreement with the prosecutor. Instead of negotiating the sentence, the suspect submits his plea directly to a judge, who then has full discretion over the final sentence.

This type of plea means that the suspect waives his right to a trial, without a guaranteed sentence being imposed beforehand. The judge determines the sentence within the legal framework, taking into account factors such as the seriousness of the offense and the suspect’s criminal history.

Defendants can opt for a non-negotiated plea if they believe the judge can impose a lighter sentence than the prosecutor’s offer. However, this approach carries significant risks as it gives up control over the sentencing outcome.

“This case breaks all the rules for how we typically conduct complex criminal trials,” said Joshua Schiffer, a legal expert and longtime attorney.

Several plea deals have already been reached this week as a possible mistrial loomed.

“This jury cannot predict how they will receive this. The only thing we know absolutely for sure is that they have experienced a trial unlike any other in Georgia history,” Schiffer said.

Yak Gotti rejects deal: ‘Take this to the jury’

Yak Gotti has rejected the latest plea deal from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in the YSL trial, according to his attorney.

Douglas Weinstein, who represents Gotti, stated that his client “fully intends to take this to the jury and get our not guilty verdicts and go home.”

The process has been at a standstill since last week A witness accidentally read out a hashtag implicating one of the defendants, prompting attorneys to file for a mistrial. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker stated that, if granted, the mistrial would be unconditional, allowing the state to retry the case.

Since the incident, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has been negotiating plea deals with attorneys. Details about the possible deals were limited until Tuesday, when one of the defendants accepted a plea deal in exchange for most of his charges being dropped.

Previous plea deals in the YSL RICO trial

The developments come a day later two co-defendants in the trial have entered plea deals to their charges.

Rodalius Ryan, also known as Lil Rod, and Marquavius ​​Huey, known as Qua, entered into an agreement in Fulton County District Court on Wednesday afternoon.

Ryan, 18, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate the state’s anti-racketeering law. His plea on Wednesday meant his 10-year sentence for the RICO charge would be commuted to time he had already served, allowing him to focus on fighting a murder conviction he received at age 15.

One of Ryan’s attorneys, Leah Abbasi, said they “categorically and adamantly deny that YSL is the criminal, dangerous street gang it claims it is.” She said her client made the best decision for his future.

Huey’s plea deal came shortly after Ryan’s. Initially indicted on 19 charges, including violating the RICO law, multiple counts of armed robbery and participation in a criminal street gang, Huey saw some charges dropped or reduced.

One of Huey’s attorneys, Careton Matthews Sr., said they “emphatically and categorically deny” some of the charges read by the prosecutor, but they acknowledge there is sufficient evidence to support the charges to which he pleaded guilty. He also pointed out that his client has already been in pretrial detention for about four years, which should count towards his nine years in pretrial detention.

The judge sentenced him to 25 years, of which he will serve only nine in prison, and warned him not to violate the terms of his agreement.

“You have a tremendous opportunity to turn your life around,” she told him, noting that he will likely get out of prison within a few years.

On Tuesday, 29-year-old Quamarvious Nicholsaccepted a plea deal. All but one of the charges against Nichols were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to a RICO charge.

YSL member on trial: Other defendants in the YSL RICO lawsuit

After the plea deals, only two defendants remain on trial: Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell.

Deamonte Kendrick (Yak Gotti): Conspiracy to violate RICO, murder (killing of Donovan Thomas in 2015), participating in criminal street gang activity, 3 counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon who has previously been convicted of a crime involving the use or possession of a firearm.

Shannon Stillwell (Shannon Jackson or SB): Conspiracy to Violate RICO, 2 counts of murder (murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. in 2015 and murder of Shymel Drinks in 2022), 2 counts of engaging in criminal street gang activity, 2 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon who has previously been convicted of a crime involving the use or possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Twelve others are being tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against one suspect after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

FOX 5 Atlanta has been following this lawsuit for almost a year after a jury selection process that took almost ten months. It is now the longest running trial in Georgia’s history.