Young Thug Pleads Guilty as Part of ‘Blind Plea’ in Condemned YSL Trial

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, has taken a no-negotiation plea deal in the YSL RICO trial and will soon be released from prison.

Williams was sworn into court shortly after 4pm on Thursday during a plea hearing.

The 33-year-old Grammy-winning artist was unable to settle with prosecutors after negotiations between the two sides broke down, said lead prosecutor Adriane Love. That leaves the sentence entirely up to the judge.

Williams was charged with conspiracy to violate RICO, 2 counts of 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, and possession of a machine guns. He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges, but also entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and one racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning he decided not to contest those charges and accepts punishment for them.

The prosecution is asking for 45 years with 25 years in prison. The defense is asking for 45 years with 5 in prison, commuted to time served and house arrest for the rest, 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, the first 5 to be served in prison, but commuted to time served. He will then serve 15 years of probation, with the first half required to report to a probation officer. In addition, he faces 20 years in prison after probation if he fails probation.

He must leave the Atlanta metro area 48 hours after being released and must stay away for the first 10 years of 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 anti-gang and anti-gun violence presentation at a school or community organization that serves children. She said that can count toward the 100 hours of community service she was ordered to perform each year during her probation.

Love had presented the judge with the evidence he 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 “vehemently disagree” with many of the statements Love made and said it was “offensive” that the state was using Young Thug’s lyrics against him.

Steel said the evidence against his client was weak and accused prosecutors of distorting and concealing evidence, saying Young Thug was “falsely accused.” Steel said he told his client that he believed he was winning the case and that it should go to a jury verdict.

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

Steel asked the judge to impose a sentence of 45 years with five suspended and 40 years of probation.

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

He was indicted two years ago in a sprawling indictment that accuses him and two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He was also charged with gang, drug and weapons offences.

Young Thug’s plea comes nearly a year after the prosecution began presenting evidence in the troubled trial. Jury selection at the Atlanta court began in January 2023 and lasted nearly 10 months. The trial of six defendants began with opening statements last November, and since then prosecutors have called dozens of witnesses.

Non-negotiated agreement explained

A non-negotiated plea agreement, often referred to as a “blind plea” or “open plea”, is an arrangement in which a defendant pleads guilty without a prearranged plea agreement with the prosecution. Instead of negotiating the sentence, the defendant takes the plea directly to a judge, who then has full discretion over the final sentence.

This type of plea means that the defendant waives his right to a trial, with no guaranteed sentence set in advance. The judge sets the sentence within legal parameters, taking into account factors such as the seriousness of the crime and the criminal history of the defendant.

Defendants can opt for a no-deal plea if they believe the judge might impose a lighter sentence than the prosecution’s offer. However, this approach carries a significant risk because it relinquishes control over the outcome of the conviction.

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

Several plea deals have already been struck this week as a possible mistrial is looming.

“This jury, no one can predict how they receive this. The one thing we know for sure is that they went through a trial unlike any other in Georgia history,” Schiffer said.

Yak Gotti Rejects Deal: ‘Take This to a Jury’

According to his attorney, Yak Gotti rejected the latest plea deal from the Fulton County Prosecutor’s Office in the YSL case.

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

The trial has been in abeyance since last week when a the witness inadvertently read aloud a hashtag involving one of the defendants, prompting defense attorneys to seek a mistrial. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker said if granted, the mistrial would be without prejudice, allowing the state to retry the case.

Since the incident, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has been in negotiations with defense attorneys regarding plea deals. Details of the potential deals were limited until Tuesday, when one of the defendants accepted a plea deal in exchange for dropping most of his charges.

Previous plea agreements in the YSL RICO trial

Developments come a day later two co-defendants in the trial entered into plea agreements to their charges.

Rodalius Ryan, also known as Lil Rod, and Marquavius ​​Huey, known as Qua, entered into plea deals Wednesday afternoon in Fulton County Court.

Ryan, 18, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the state’s anti-racketeering law. His plea Wednesday meant his 10-year sentence on the RICO charge would be commuted to time already served, allowing him to focus on challenging a felony conviction he received when he was 15.

One of Ryan’s lawyers, Leah Abbasi, said they “strongly and categorically deny that YSL is the dangerous criminal street gang it has been made out to be.” She said her client was making the best decision for his future.

Huey’s deal came shortly after Ryan’s. Originally indicted on 19 counts, including RICO violations, 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 he “categorically and vehemently denies” some of the charges read by the prosecutor, but concedes there is enough evidence to support the charges to which he is pleading guilty. He also pointed out that his client has already been in custody for about four years, which should be considered against the nine years in custody.

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 huge opportunity to turn your life around,” she told him, noting that he would likely be out of prison in just a few years.

Tuesday, Quamarvious Nichols, 29 years oldaccepted a plea deal. All but one charge against Nichols was dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to one RICO charge.

YSL Member in Lawsuit: Remaining Defendants in 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 (2015 murder of Donovan Thomas), participation in criminal street gang activity, 3 counts of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm while commission of a felony, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon previously convicted of a felony involving the use or possession of a firearm.

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

Another 12 are being tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

FOX 5 Atlanta has been following this trial for nearly a year after a jury selection process that lasted nearly 10 months. It is now the longest trial in Georgia’s history.