American rapper Young Thug has been released from prison on probation following a lengthy trial that has become the longest in Georgia’s history. After facing a barrage of serious charges, including gang and gun-related offenses, the rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, reached a plea agreement on Thursday, October 31.
Young Thug was initially indicted in 2022, along with over two dozen co-defendants, accused of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. The charges against him included multiple counts of gang activity, drug offenses, and firearm violations.
After nearly 10 months of jury selection that began in January 2023 and a trial that commenced last November, Young Thug accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges, and two gun charges. Additionally, he entered a no-contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, which means he chose not to contest these particular allegations.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, who presided over the case, sentenced Young Thug to time served plus 15 years of probation after hearing the defense’s and prosecution’s recommendations.
The trial has seen several of Young Thug’s co-defendants plead guilty in recent days, with three striking deals just before his plea. The fate of two remaining co-defendants is still to be determined, while nine others accepted plea deals before the trial even began. Additionally, twelve defendants are being tried separately, and prosecutors dropped charges against one individual after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.
