rico
A federal judge has dismissed civil racketeering accusations and other claims filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs by former collaborator Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, though he also allowed parts of the music producer’s sexual abuse lawsuit to move forward.
In a decision issued Monday, Judge J. Paul Oetken ruled that Jones could not sue Diddy and others under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – the federal “RICO” law often used against the Mafia and the same statute prosecutors are citing in their criminal case against Combs.
The judge said Jones hadn’t shown that the alleged illegal “enterprise” operated by Diddy – the kind of illicit operation outlawed by RICO – had directly caused the star to renege on paying Jones for his work Combs’ Love Album.
Trending on Billboard
“The court cannot identify any such causal link,” Oetken wrote. “Defendants’ alleged sex, drug, and gun trafficking activities — the vast majority of the predicate acts pleaded in the operative complaint — did not foreseeably or naturally preclude defendants from honoring their recording contract with Jones.”
Monday’s ruling dismissed the RICO charge against Combs, his chief of staff Kristina Khorram and his businesses. The judge also dismissed Jones’ breach of contract claim and several claims emotional distress, finding them legally deficient.
But Oetken allowed several other key accusations to proceed, including sex trafficking, sexual assault and the claim that Combs is liable for an alleged assault perpetrated by others at his house. Those claims will now proceed into more litigation and toward an eventual trial.
Reps for the defendants and an attorney for Jones did not immediately return a request for comment. Combs has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing; Khorram denied the accusations to CNN last week, saying she “never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone.”
Jones sued Combs in March 2024, accusing the rapper of assaulting him while he was working as a producer on the Love Album. But the case went far beyond that, also leveling sweeping allegations about a vast RICO conspiracy involving numerous others, including not just Khorram but also Universal Music Group and CEO Lucian Grainge.
After UMG and Grainge said they would seek penalties over those “recklessly false” allegations, Jones’ attorney Tyrone Blackburn conceded that there had been “no legal basis” for filing them and asked to have them “withdrawn immediately.”
In Monday’s decision, Oetken sharply criticized Blackburn, saying he found the lawyer’s conduct in the case “unsettling.” He noted that court filings had been filled with “insults, misstatements, and exaggerations,” and said Blackburn had leveled “schoolyard taunts” at opposing lawyers.
In one incident, the judge said Blackburn had referenced the criminal case before saying Combs and his companies were “presumed guilty of being a RICO criminal organization” – an obvious inversion of the bedrock “innocent until proven guilty” standard at the heart of American criminal law.
“That any licensed member of the bar would espouse such an absurd understanding of the law is not just disturbing, but shocking,” the judge wrote Monday. “While the court will not hold Blackburn’s antics against Jones at this point, it warns Blackburn that further misconduct may lead to sanctions or to referral for discipline.”
Jones’ lawsuit is just one of dozens filed against Combs over the past year accusing him of serious sexual abuse and other wrongdoing. He’s also facing a criminal trial in May on federal RICO and sex trafficking charges; if convicted, he’s looking at a potential life prison sentence.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Kay Flock, a Bronx Drill rapper who notched several local hits en route to what looked to be a promising career, was arrested in 2021 for allegedly shooting and killing a rival. Earlier this week, Kay Flock was convicted on attempted murder and extortion-related charges but was not convicted of murdering Hwascar Hernandez.
As spotted on the Inner City Press website, Kay Flock, real name Kevin Perez, was convicted on March 20 after court proceedings that began last week on March 11 when opening statements were heard. According to the publication, Flock will not face the death penalty for the 2021 killing of Hernandez but could very well face life in prison. Flock
Flock will await sentencing on the convictions of racketeering conspiracy, use of a gun resulting in death, attempted murder and assault with a weapon in furtherance of racketeering, and use of a firearm for attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. The court, however, did not go forward with the murder in aid of racketeering charge charge related to the Hernandez killing, accepting Flock’s self-defense plea.
On Instagram, Kay Flock celebrated not being found guilty on the murder charge and issued a message to his fans via the Story feed:
I MADE THE JUDGE CRY ‘HE SAID NOW HE NOT FORCE TO GIVE ME LIFE.’ ALHAMDULILLAH EVERYTHING GOOD NOT GOOD AND EVERYTHING BAD NOT BAD. JUST GOTTA STAY HUMBLE TILL THE OUTCOME OF YOUR SITUATION AND SEE WHAT ALLAH GOT FOR YOU. CHIN UP CHEST OUT SH*T AINT OVER NO WERE NEAR!! REMAIN A G AND STAY SUCKA FREE. NEVER FOLD NEVER WILL. FREE THE THERLBREAD ONES KILL ALL RATS
Kay Flock will be sentenced on July 16.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Big U, an alleged top-ranking Rollin’ 60s Crips gang member and community activist, was arrested and charged with other individuals this week in connection to a RICO case. Big U, who was formerly connected to the late Nipsey Hussle, is accused of running a Mafia-like criminal enterprise by authorities, claims that U say are overblown due to Internet chatter.
In a report from the Los Angeles Times, Eugene “Big U” Henley, 58, was a massive influence on the Hip-Hop scene in Los Angeles, and his involvement with the gang world was notable considering he spent recent times as a community leader looking to quell violence on the streets. Now, Henley is facing charges of murder, kidnapping, robbery, and more.
As the Times notes, Big U was instrumental in boosting the career of Nipsey Hussle, who was also a member of the Rollin’ 60s. His connection with the music scene and his reported position in the Crips operation was framed by federal investigators as that of a mob boss with people visiting Los Angeles being required to “check in” with Henley to move untouched about the city. Henley is alleged to have put the “check in” requirement toward musicians and professional athletes alike.
In the 107-page federal complaint, officials say that Henley ran his self-styled enterprise similarly to how the Mafia operates, using his “stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals” across the city, according to the complaint.
When authorities first announced their intent to go after Henley, they named him a fugitive in a news conference but Henley eventually turned himself in. As reported by TMZ, Henley recorded a video ahead of turning himself in, stating that he’s done nothing wrong and has contributed heavily to his community. Over a dozen other individuals connected to Henley were also taken into custody.
U.S. Atty. Joseph T. McNally spoke at Wednesday’s news conference and said that Henley’s image as a music executive and community leader was false.
“[Henley] has maintained the image of an entertainment industry entrepreneur running a music label and of somebody who gives back to the community here in Los Angeles,” McNally said. “The facts alleged in the complaint paint a very different picture. It is one of a murderer, a thief, a liar and a cheat and the criminals that enabled him.”
Henley is accused of kidnapping and killing a young rapper and discarding his body in the Las Vegas desert. FBI investigators say that the hit was carried out due to disrespect and ordering a robbery of an unlicensed marijuana dispensary over unpaid extortion payments. Henley is also alleged to have taken charity donations from the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Draymond Green, only to pocket the money for himself.
Sylvester Robinson, 59, allegedly Henley’s second-in-command, and alleged lieutenant Mark Martin, 50, are both accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Along with Henley, Termaine Williams, aka “Luce Cannon,” was charged with robbery, Armani Aflleje, aka “Mani,” was charged with transporting an individual to engage in prostitution, and Tiffany Hines was charged with bank fraud.
As seen in the videos above, Big U is claiming innocence.
—
Photo: Leon Bennett / Getty
An Atlanta jury on Tuesday issued a verdict largely acquitting Young Thug’s two remaining co-defendants in the long-running trial of his alleged YSL gang.
After nearly a year of testimony, jurors found Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick not guilty on any of the slew of charges he was facing. They found Shannon Stillwell guilty on a single charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but not guilty on any others.
The verdict, which will allow both men to walk free on Tuesday, is a major loss for the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, which had accused Kendrick and Stillwell of racketeering, murder, firearms and drug charges – accusations that exceeded those leveled against Thug himself.
After the verdict was read, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Stillwell to 10 years in prison but ordered him to serve only two, which were covered by time already served during the long-running trial. The remaining eight years of his sentence will be served on probation, the judge said.
Trending on Billboard
The verdict came a month after Thug himself escaped the case. After botched testimony from a state’s witness sparked talk of a mistrial, Thug’s attorneys rejected a plea deal with prosecutors and instead opted to simply plead guilty – a gamble that paid off when Whitaker sentenced him to just 15 years probation with no time served in prison.
Combined with Thug’s exit, Tuesday’s verdict marks the end of criminal trial that has captivated the music industry for nearly than two years. Pitting prosecutors in America’s rap capital against one of hip-hop’s biggest stars, the YSL case has raised big questions — about the fairness of the criminal justice system; about violent personas in modern hip-hop; and about prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence.
Kendrick and Stillwell were two of the more than two dozen men indicted alongside Thug in May 2022. In a sweeping indictment, prosecutors alleged that his “YSL” — nominally a record label standing for “Young Stoner Life” — was also a violent gang called “Young Slime Life” that had wrought “havoc” on the Atlanta area for nearly a decade.
The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claimed that YSL committed murders, carjackings, and many other crimes. Prosecutors said Thug was “King Slime,” operating as a criminal boss amid his rise to fame, but accused Kendrick and Stillwell of some of the most serious crimes — including carrying out the 2015 murder of rival gang leader Donovan Thomas that played a central role in the prosecution’s case.
From the start, the YSL case was beset by delays. Starting in January 2023, it took an unprecedented 10-month process just to pick a jury. After the trial itself got underway in November 2023, prosecutors meandered through a vast list of witnesses that included more than 100 names. Earlier this year, the case was delayed for weeks over a bizarre episode that resulted in the presiding judge being removed from the case.
Days before Thug pleaded guilty, several of his co-defendants either did the same or took plea deals. But Kendrick and Stillwell rejected offers and opted to continue to litigate the case, leading to Tuesday’s verdict.
Thought he trial is over, the YSL case isn’t quite over. Several other defendants were separated from the case early in the proceedings and could face similar trials in the future.
Drake has initiated legal action against Universal Music Group and Spotify over allegations that the two companies conspired to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
In a filing Monday (Nov. 25) in Manhattan court, Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG of launching an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to pump up Lamar’s song — a track that savagely attacked Drake amid an ongoing feud between the two stars.
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” attorneys for Drake’s company write. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.”
Trending on Billboard
Drake’s attorneys accuse UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the federal “RICO” statute often used in criminal cases against organized crime. They also allege deceptive business practices and false advertising under New York state law.
The court filings are a remarkable twist in the high-profile beef between the two stars, which saw Drake and Kendrick exchange stinging diss tracks over a period of months earlier this year. That such a dispute would spill into business litigation seemed almost unthinkable in the world of hip-hop.
It also represents a stunning rift between Drake and UMG, where the star has spent his entire career, first through signing a deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint, which was distributed by Republic Records, and then signing directly to Republic.
Lamar, meanwhile, has also spent his entire career associated with UMG, first through the TDE imprint, which was distributed by Interscope, and more recently through his own company pgLang, which he licenses through Interscope.
In technical terms, Monday’s filing is not yet a full lawsuit, but a so-called “pre-action” petition — a procedure under New York law that aims to secure information before filing a lawsuit. Spotify declined to comment. UMG did not immediately return a request for comment.
This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Young Thug was sentenced to 15 years probation and no prison time after pleading guilty in the long-running criminal case accusing him of leading a violent Atlanta street gang, a stunning end to a legal saga that rocked the music industry.
After days of closed-door negotiations with Fulton County prosecutors, Thug (Jeffery Williams) refused Thursday (Oct. 31) to take a plea deal that would have sent him home immediately. Instead, he opted for a non-negotiated guilty plea, leaving his fate in the hands of Judge Paige Reese Whitaker.
The move paid off: Later on Thursday, Whitaker sentenced Thug to only 15 years probation with no time to be served in prison, meaning that he would be set free on Thursday after more than two years in custody. In doing so, she urged the Grammy-winning rapper to use his platform to set a good example for young people in the future.
Trending on Billboard
“I know you’re talented, and if you choose to continue to rap, you need to try to use your influence to let kids know that is not the way to go and that there are ways out of poverty besides hooking up with the powerful guy at the end of the street selling drugs,” Whitaker said.
Thug’s guilty plea marks a key turning point in a criminal case that has captivated the music industry for more than two years. Pitting prosecutors in America’s rap capital against one of hip-hop’s biggest stars, the YSL case has raised big questions — about the fairness of the criminal justice system; about violent personas in modern hip-hop; and about prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence.
Standing before the judge at a tense hearing Thursday, Thug pleaded guilty to several counts, including possession of drugs and firearms, and pleaded no contest to several others, including the core racketeering accusations that alleged he was the leader of a criminal gang.
Without the negotiated plea deal, prosecutors recommended a far harsher sentence than they had offered: a whopping 45 years, with 25 served in prison and 20 years on probation. Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, then offered an extended rebuttal to the state’s claims and urged leniency. Finally, Thug himself spoke, saying he took “full responsibility for my crimes” and pleading with the judge to see that he has “a good heart.”
“I just hope that you find it in your heart to allow me to go home and be with my family and just do better as a person,” the artist told the judge.
After she handed down her sentence, the judge offered a quick warning to Thug before adjourning for the day: “Good luck to you. And there better be no violations, but if there are any, you’re coming back to see me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Thug said back.
Thursday’s guilty plea came days after the trial was thrown into chaos by botched testimony from a state’s witness, sparking talk of a mistrial. Since then, prosecutors and defendants have struck a slew of deals rather than risk starting over from scratch in the trial, which has already stretched across 10 months of jury selection and 11 months of testimony to become the longest-ever in state history.
Thug, a chart-topping rapper and producer who helped shape the sound of hip-hop in the 2010s, was arrested in May 2022 along with dozens of others. In a sweeping indictment, prosecutors alleged that his “YSL” — nominally a record label standing for “Young Stoner Life” — was also a violent gang called “Young Slime Life” that had wrought “havoc” on the Atlanta area for nearly a decade.
The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claimed that YSL had committed murders, carjackings, drug dealing and many other crimes. And prosecutors alleged that Thug was “King Slime,” operating as a criminal boss amid his rise to fame. “It does not matter what your notoriety is, what your fame is,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said at the time. “We are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Thug strongly denied the accusations and has long maintained his innocence. On the opening day of the trial, his attorney Steel argued that despite a difficult local upbringing, Thug “doesn’t even know most of the people in this indictment” and had no reason to run a criminal organization.
From the start, the YSL case has been beset by delays. Starting in January 2023, it took an unprecedented 10-month process just to pick a jury. After the trial itself got underway in November 2023, prosecutors meandered through a vast list of witnesses that included a stunning 737 names. There was also a jailhouse stabbing of one defendant, as well as a bizarre episode over a secret meeting with a witness that resulted in the presiding judge being removed from the case.
While the slow-moving trial dragged on, Thug sat in jail for more than two years, repeatedly denied release on bond over fears that he might intimidate witnesses.
Though Thug is now going home, the YSL case is not over.
Attorneys for co-defendants Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell said their clients had refused plea deals on Thursday, meaning they will continue to face trial and move toward an eventual verdict. Kendrick and Stillwell stand accused of carrying out the 2015 murder of rival gang leader Donovan Thomas, a crime that figures prominently in the prosecution’s case.
Two more of Young Thug’s co-defendants are taking plea deals in the long-running Atlanta racketeering case against the rapper’s alleged YSL gang, leaving Thug facing trial with just two other defendants.
A week after improper testimony from a state’s witness threw the trial into chaos and sparked talk of a mistrial, prosecutors and defense attorneys continued to show a willingness Wednesday (Oct. 30) to strike deals rather than risk starting the massive trial over from scratch.
At the hearing, Marquavius “Qua” Huey pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, robbery and several other counts, with prosecutors agreeing to drop a slew of others. Under the deal, Huey received a sentence of 25 years, but with just nine to be served in prison — a sharp decrease from the life sentences he was facing if convicted on all the charges.
Another defendant, Rodalius “Lil Rod” Ryan, pled guilty to a single racketeering conspiracy charge and was sentenced to 10 years, which was commuted to time served since he is already serving a life sentence for a 2019 murder.
The two new pleas came a day after Quamarvious Nichols agreed to plead guilty to a single racketeering charge in exchange for prosecutors dropping all other charges against him, including murder and illegal firearms possession. Under the deal, Nichols was sentenced to 20 years, but will only serve seven in prison and the rest on probation.
The flurry of deals follows an incident last week in which a government witness accidentally revealed sensitive information to the jury, prompting defense attorneys to demand a mistrial. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, who chided prosecutors for “sloppiness” and has repeatedly criticized their handling of the case, said she would consider such a ruling.
Since then, testimony has been halted as prosecutors and defense attorneys have negotiated plea deals behind closed doors. Both sides seem willing to consider compromise rather than a costly redo of the trial, which has stretched across 10 months of jury selection and 11 months of testimony to become the longest-ever in state history.
Whether Thug himself, a Grammy-winning superstar who prosecutors claim was the leader of the gang, will also reach such a deal remains to be seen. The trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday morning (Oct. 31).
Thug was indicted in May 2022 along with dozens of others over allegations that his “YSL” group was not really a record label called “Young Stoner Life” but rather a violent Atlanta gang called “Young Slime Life.” The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claims the group committed murders, carjackings, armed robberies, drug dealing and other crimes over the course of a decade.
The pleas struck Tuesday (Oct. 29) and Wednesday mean that Thug (Jeffery Williams) is now facing the remainder of the trial with just two other defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell. Kendrick and Stillwell stand accused of carrying out the 2015 murder of rival gang leader Donovan Thomas, a crime that figures prominently in the prosecution’s case.
A Georgia judge is weighing whether to declare a mistrial in Young Thug’s long-running Atlanta gang trial, a move that would require prosecutors to either start from scratch or drop a case that has already lasted more than two years.
The motion for a mistrial was sparked by an incident Wednesday (Oct. 23) in which a state’s witness accidentally revealed sensitive information to the jury. Defense attorneys said the mistake was caused by prosecutor missteps, and the judge quickly chided government lawyers for “sloppiness.”
A mistrial would mean an abrupt end to a criminal trial that has stretched across 10 months of jury selection and 11 months of testimony to become the longest-ever in state history. Prosecutors have meandered through a vast list of witnesses, and the case has been beset by unusual delays — including a jailhouse stabbing of one defendant and a bizarre episode over a secret meeting that saw the presiding judge removed from the case.
Since taking over the case this summer, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has expressed frustration with how the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has been handling the case. Last month, she blasted the prosecutors for “poor lawyering, “baffling” decisions and steps to repeatedly “hide the ball” amid a “haphazard” trial.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Whitaker refused outright to declare a mistrial with prejudice, which would have permanently ended the case. But she said she would consider doing so without prejudice, meaning prosecutors could attempt to retry their case from scratch in front of a new jury.
The specter of such an outcome has prompted prosecutors to discuss plea deals. According to X posts by Cath Russon, managing editor at Law&Crime, each defense team was set to meet individually on Thursday with District Attorney Fani Willis to discuss potential deals.
As a result of the negotiations and the pending mistrial motions, all trial proceedings before Whitaker on Thursday (Oct. 24) and Friday (Oct. 25) have been postponed and the trial is currently scheduled to resume on Monday morning (Oct. 28), according to Russon.
Thug (Jeffery Williams), a chart-topping rapper and producer who helped shape the sound of hip-hop over the past decade, was indicted in May 2022 along with dozens of others over allegations that his “YSL” was not really a record label called “Young Stoner Life” but rather a violent Atlanta gang called “Young Slime Life.” The case, built around Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, claims the group committed murders, carjackings, armed robberies, drug dealing and other crimes over the course of a decade.
While the slow-moving trial has dragged on, Thug has been sitting in jail for more than two years, repeatedly denied bond over fears that he might intimidate witnesses. If the judge grants a mistrial and prosecutors decide to retry their case, he could have years more in jail until a verdict is reached. Such an outcome could potentially motivate defendants, too, to consider a negotiated resolution.
The Wednesday incident that sparked the calls for a mistrial took place as prosecutors were questioning a witness named Wunnie Lee (aka Slimelife Shawty), a former defendant in the YSL case who signed a plea agreement in exchange for testifying.
While on the stand, prosecutors asked Lee to identify certain defendants by showing him social media posts. While reading one of the posts, Lee read aloud the hashtag #freequa — a reference to a previous prison sentence for Marquavius Huey (aka Qua), one of Thug’s current co-defendants.
That was a crucial error by prosecutors. The jury was not supposed to know which defendants had previously been incarcerated, and defense attorneys argued that the government was supposed to redact the post and prep Lee not to mention it. After the admission before jurors, defense attorneys quickly moved for a mistrial.
“We’re not going to be able to unring this bell,” defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland said in court. “It is painfully obvious that the state is not prepping their witnesses.”
The misstep quickly drew another sharp critique from Judge Whitaker, who attempted to reach a solution that would allow the case to move forward: “What I’m trying to do is fix your sloppiness so that everybody won’t have wasted 10 to 12 months of their lives in this trial.”
The judge overseeing Young Thug’s sprawling Atlanta gang trial appears to have reached her wits’ end with the prosecutors trying the case — complaining of “poor lawyering, “baffling” decisions and steps to repeatedly “hide the ball.”
At a hearing on Monday (Sept. 30), Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sharply questioned Chief Deputy DA Adriane Love over her handling of the trial, which has already been going for nearly two years and is expected to run well into next year.
“It is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly and purposefully hide the ball to the extent you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can,” Whitaker said to Love, appearing visibly frustrated.
Trending on Billboard
“I really don’t want to believe that it is purposeful but honestly, after a certain number of times, you start to wonder how can it be anything but that, unless it is just that you are so unorganized that you are throwing this case together as you try it,” she added, saying that the “haphazard” approach was making the trial more difficult for everyone involved.
The reprimand for Love, over an issue with evidence that she tried to introduce without a witness, prompted Young Thug’s defense attorneys to move to a mistrial. Though the judge ultimately denied that request, she warned prosecutors that she was nearing her breaking point.
“I truly am struggling with whether all of this is purposeful, or this is just really poor lawyering on the part of members of the state’s team. Either way, it’s really unfortunate. If it’s something other than poor lawyering, it’s more than unfortunate,” the judge wrote. “I don’t know if I can stress any more than I already have how much the state’s lawyers need to make an effort to be upfront and forthright in the trial of this case.”
Thug (Jeffery Williams) and dozens of others were indicted in May 2022 over allegations that their YSL was not really a record label called Young Stoner Life but rather a violent Atlanta gang called Young Slime Life. Citing Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, prosecutors claim the group operated a criminal enterprise that committed murders, carjackings, armed robberies, drug dealing and other crimes over the course of a decade.
The trial kicked off in January 2023 but has faced repeated delays and disruptions, including an unprecedented 10-month jury selection, the stabbing of another defendant and a bizarre episode in which the presiding judge was removed from the case over a secret meeting with prosecutors. Whitaker took over the case in July.
While the slow-moving trial has dragged on, Thug has been sitting in jail for more than two years, repeatedly denied bond by both judges to handle the case over fears that he might intimidate witnesses. Prosecutors have only presented part of their vast list of potential witnesses, and the trial is expected to run well into 2025.
Courtney Kramer, the Republican challenger to Fani Willis in the race for Fulton County District Attorney in Georgia, is vowing to end the long-running YSL RICO trial involving Young Thug if she’s elected, according to a statement issued by her campaign on Friday (Aug. 16).
“With no apparent justice in sight, I have become highly concerned and disappointed in the lack of prosecutorial oversight in this case,” Kramer said in the statement. “As time goes on, the public has witnessed a trial that is undoubtedly over prosecuted by attorneys who have repeatedly been admonished for lack of trial prepartion: a complete and utter waste of the court’s time.”
Kramer goes on to blast prosecutors in the case, noting that they were recently “condemned” by new judge Paige Reese Whitaker “for not following the ethical and legal duty to disclose exculpatory evidence that could prove fruitful for the defense, one of the most basic requirements in the courtroom.” She further contends that the case “was brought to bring fame” to Willis, “not to bring justice to the community,” and that it’s resulted in “endless amounts of taxpayer dollars” being spent “on a prosecution that is based almost entirely on witnesses with little to no credibility.”
“If I am elected as the next District Attorney of Fulton County, I promise to end this prosecution immediately,” said Kramer. “I challenge my opponent to do the same thing, the right thing, and end this prosection and release the accused in this case who are being held without bond.”
Representatives for Willis and Young Thug did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment.
The YSL case was set into motion in May 2022 when Thug (real name Jeffery Williams) was indicted along with dozen of others over allegations that their YSL was not a record label called Young Stoner Life but a violent Atlanta street game called Young Slime Life. The group of defendants was charged under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, with prosecutors claiming they operated a criminal enterprise that committed murders, carjackings, armed robberies, drug dealing and other crimes over the course of a decade.
Since his arrest, Thug remained in jail despite multiple calls for his release. On Aug. 8, Judge Whitaker denied requests by Thug’s attorneys to declare a mistrial over the explosive revelation of a secret “ex parte” meeting between the since-removed judge in the case, Ural Glanville, prosecutors and a key witness. Prior to that, she denied their renewed motion to release Thug on bond.
Notably, the trial, which began in January 2023 and resumed on Monday (Aug. 12), is now the longest in Georgia state history; with dozens of witnesses still set to testify, it’s estimated to run well into next year.
You can read Kramer’s full statement here.