Young Thug Regains Freedom After YSL Rico Case Plea Deal

Young Thug has buzzed out of the prison gates as he took a plea deal! The rapper and prosecutors have finally made headway in the protracted RICO case and walk home on a 15-year probation.

Young Thug was arrested in Atlanta after being accused of being the founder and leader of Young Slime Life (YSL) in May 2022.

The Atlanta rapper got a verdict on Thursday afternoon with Judge Whitaker imposing 40 years of sentence. Young Thug was awarded time served for five years of the original sentencing plus 15 years on probation.

He risks spending 20 years behind bars should he fail to complete his probation term. Whitaker declared that if the rapper keeps a clean slate during his probationary period, the 20-year part of his sentence would be committed.

In addition to taking the plea deal, his lawyer, Brian Steel, requested that the court grant him permission to continue making music with fellow rapper Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens and his brother Quantavious “Unfoonk” Grier.

TMZ stated that Young Thug’s 15-year probation sentence comes after the state recommended he spend at least 25 years in prison, but Whitaker had other plans.

Young Thug’s decision to plead guilty in his YSL RICO case ends his chapter in what has become the most extended court trial in Georgia history books.

The rapper switched his initial plea deal from 2022 on Thursday, October 31st, 2024, and pled guilty to his role in YSL criminal activities.

He also pleaded no contest to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and leading a criminal street gang. Prosecutors intended to recommend the rapper get a 45-year sentence, including a 25-year jail term followed by 20 years of probation.

The rapper’s co-defendants, Yak Gotti and Shannon Stillwell, reportedly refused to accept plea deals and will continue their trials, while 3 others pled guilty earlier in the week.

Young Thug’s initial charges received a major boost after the police conducted a raid on his home on Allison Drive in Buckhead on the night of his May arrest.

The Blast noted in 2022 that the new indictment comprises “a new gang charge, new drug charges, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a machine gun.”

District Attorney Fani Willis’ office explained that the new charges include the 28 defendants from the May 2022 indictment and are still about the YSL, an affiliate of the Bloods gang founded by Thug and two others.

The rapper’s brother and Gunna were also part of the 28 people listed in the arraignment. Two other defendants, Martinez Arnold and Deamonte Kendrick (Yak Gotti), were also involved in the machine gun count, and both pleaded guilty to the May indictment, as well as Young Thug.

For the original indictment, Young Thug was reportedly taken into custody at the Fulton County Jail on alleged conspiracy for attempting to disobey the RICO act in 2013 and another charge for allegedly participating in criminal street gang activities in May 2018.

As if his RICO charges were not enough, the rapper got embroiled in another legal drama featuring an entertainment firm that contracted him for a concert.

The Blast reported that the rapper was billed in January to perform a 45-minute set for $300k and already received an upfront payment of $150k as agreed.

The negotiation also included the rapper getting the rest of his money once he had performed, but his sudden arrest ruined the plans, forcing the organizers to sue him.

The company, identified as A-1 Concert Entertainment, reportedly reached out to YSL Touring, who initially agreed to pay back the $150k deposit fee but failed on their promise.

The rapper did not leave his fans wanting despite his arrest and painful absence from the “Summer Jam” hip-hop festival in New York City in 2022.

His arrest and imprisonment made it impossible for him to perform at the show, but he made up for it by appreciating his fans for their support through his arrest.

“I just want to say thank you to all my friends and my family for coming out and supporting us. You know, your support during this time means a lot to us,” the rapper wrote at the time, probably not having the slightest idea he was about to be in court for nearly two years.