It’s been a rough few days for Young Thug. As we previously reported, Thug was arrested in Atlanta on Monday, and faces a slew of accusations from Fulton County’s district attorney, including that he was allegedly a founder and active leader of the alleged gang, Young Slime Life.
Thug was among 28 people listed in an 88-page indictment filed on Sunday in Fulton County Superior Court. Young Thug, real name, Jeffery Lamar Williams, was charged with participation in criminal street activity and conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, according to the indictment. It also outlines specific charges against Williams and his 27 associates. The court document refers to the group as the “Young Slime Life” (YSL) enterprise, and stated that members “conspired to associate and with others for the common purposes of illegally obtaining money and property through a pattern of racketeering activity and conducting and participating in the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity.” Fellow rapper Gunna was also accused of similar crimes under YSL and has since surrendered to police in Atlanta.
Many of the charges are related to Young Thug’s rap lyrics. Unfortunately for him, several of his songs are used as evidence in the indictment, as an “overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.”
According to the latest update on Young Thug, the rapper is facing seven new charges in addition to the RICO and participation in criminal street gang activity counts, according to WSBTV’s Michael Seiden. The additional charges include possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of firearm during commission of a felony, possession of sawed-off-shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, dangerous weapon or silencer. In addition to that, three charges of unlawful participation in criminal gang activity while employed by/associated with a criminal street gang.
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Speaking to WSB-TV, Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel pleaded his client’s innocence, saying: “I’ll tell you the response to any allegation; Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever. “And we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him.” In an interview with WSBTV this week, Young Thug’s father Jeffery Williams Sr. also denied the charges against his son. He said, “I think my son has been unfairly linked to a lot of things, but it’s up to us to prove it,” he said. “I’ma fight for him until the end, I’m his father.”
Meanwhile, Gunna’s legal team also says their client is innocent. The team, comprised of Donald F. Samuel, John A. Garland and Kristen W. Novay said, “Mr. Kitchens has been an advocate for his community, and it is our privilege to advocate for him.”
We will continue to keep you updated as this story develops.
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