YOUNG Thug’s girlfriend has said she is “so grateful” for the rapper’s release after he was allowed to walk free from prison on Thursday.
The 33-year-old Grammy winner, born Jeffery Lamar Williams, was behind bars for more than 900 days after his arrest on racketeering and gang-related charges.
Rapper Young Thug entered his plea deal on Thursday, sentenced to time already served[/caption]
His girlfriend and singer Mariah The Scientist pictured performing on October 13, 2024 in South Fulton, Georgia[/caption]
In May 2022, prosecutors alleged the rap label he founded was a front for an organized crime syndicate responsible for “75 to 80% of violent crime” in Atlanta.
He was sentenced on Thursday to time served and 15 years of probation. He was released later on Thursday night.
In a statement, Young Thug’s girlfriend and singer Mariah the Scientist – real name Mariah Amani Buckles – said she was “so grateful” for the ruling.
“This is more than what we prayed for,” she told reporter Michael Seiden.
“We are so grateful, this is the greatest opportunity we’ve ever been presented with.”
“I cannot say it enough, I cannot repay you for this. You have changed our lives, Jeffery’s life and mine.”
The couple recently celebrated their third anniversary, and were joined by rappers Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, and T.I in celebrating the news.
It came after Young Thug told the court on Thursday that he takes “full responsibility” for his crimes and the charges against him.
“To really everybody that has got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry,” he said.
He went on to describe himself as “a good guy with a good heart” who found himself “in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool,” BBC News reports.
“And I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad… and it could fall on you.”
Prosecutors had planned to recommend a sentence of 45 years for the rapepr, with 25 of those spent in custody and 20 on probation.
Negotiations, however, were unsuccessful, and Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker instead chose his punishment as the time he has already served.
As part of the deal, Young Thug pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges.
He also entered a no-contest plea to leading a gang and violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (Rico) Act.
“I want you to try to be more of the solution and less of the problem,” Judge Whitaker told him.
She went on to hand the rapper 100 hours of community service and a ban on contact with gang members and former co-defendants.
He is also banned from the metropolitan Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his 15-year probation.
This can be broken only in exceptional circumstances – for example a funeral or wedding in the area.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, and his lawyer, Brian Steel, pictured in the Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on June 10, 2024[/caption]
Young Thug performs at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021[/caption]
