Atlanta rapper ‘Young Thug’ arrested on criminal street gang and RICO conspiracy charges
Atlanta rap star Young Thug, aka Jeffrey Lamar Williams, was arrested yesterday along with 27 others on criminal street gang charges and a charge of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act. Young Thug was arrested at his Buckhead home located just north of downtown Atlanta.
The charges against the rap artist have been in place for some time, with the conspiracy charge dating back to 2013 and his gang charge dating back to 2018.
Young Thug is allegedly one of three founders of the Young Slime Life, “a criminal street gang that started in late 2012” in Atlanta, the indictment says. YSL is affiliated with the national Bloods gang, officials said. Charges include “Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.” ~ ABC News
The rapper’s attorney vowed to vehemently fight the charges against his client. According to CBS News, lawyer Brian Steel said that, “Mr. Williams has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. We will fight this case ethically, legally and zealously. Mr. Williams will be cleared.”
Also charged yesterday were a few other rappers out of Georgia: Gunna, aka Sergio Kitchens, and Christian Eppinger, who was already incarcerated for the alleged February shooting of an Atlanta police officer. Last year, Gunna and Young Thug, “posted bail for 30 low-level inmates who were unable to afford the costs themselves.”
Performing as Young Thug, Williams has been hailed as one of the most influential hop-hop artists to emerge in the past two decades. In 2019, Williams won Song of the Year at the Grammys for co-writing “This Is America” with Donald Glover, known as Childish Gambino, and Ludwig Göransson. ~ The Washington Post
Young Thug is scheduled to make his first court appearance later on today and is currently being detained at the Fulton County Jail.
For more on Young Thug’s arrest and indictment, see the video accompanying this article.
(Cover photo: Young Thug / Facebook)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
