Young Thug’s 11-month trial—the longest in Georgia history—came to an end on Thursday, after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges in a non-negotiated plea deal.
The hip-hop star, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, was one of 28 defendants in the case, in which he stood charged of racketeering conspiracy and participation in criminal street gang activity, along with drug and gun violations.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the sweeping indictment in May 2022, accusing Williams of being the kingpin of Young Slime Life (YSL), an Atlanta-based street gang affiliated with the Bloods gang.
Williams, whose trial began in November 2023, was accused of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which targets individuals working under a criminal organization.
A non-negotiated plea deal is entered when prosecutors and defense cannot reach an agreement on the sentence. Both sides present their case to a judge, who then decides what sentence to hand down.
Williams pleaded guilty to most of the counts he is charged with—including gun charges, drug charges, and a gang charge—but pleaded no contest to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and participation in criminal street gang activity in a leadership role.
Williams’ no contest plea means that he accepts the conviction but does not admit to being guilty of the crimes.
Following the plea deal, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Williams to five years in prison commuted to time served and 15 years on probation, followed by 20 years in prison. The backloaded prison sentence will be commuted if Williams complies with the terms of his probation.
Is Young Thug Still in Prison?
Citing Fulton County jail records, The New York Times reports that Williams—who had been in custody since 2022—was released from prison on Thursday night, hours after his plea deal.
Newsweek has contacted a legal representative of Williams via email for comment.
Williams’ sentence was handed down with several conditions, including an order to stay away from the metro Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation, with the exception of attending a wedding, funeral or graduation of immediate family or dealing with a serious illness within his immediate family.
He is also required to travel to the metro Atlanta area four times a year during his probation to give an anti-gang and anti-gun presentation at a school, Boys and Girls Club, or similar group.
Ahead of his sentence being handed down, Atlanta-born Williams addressed the court.
“I take responsibility for my crimes, for my charges,” he said. “I want to say sorry to my family, my mom, my mom’s got 11 kids, I can’t say all their names, my managers, my kids.”
“I find myself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool, and I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad,” the rapper added.
Had Williams been convicted at trial, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of 120 years in prison, according to Rolling Stone.
Williams’ release from prison comes after three of his co co-defendants also took plea deals.
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