Young Thug trial: Prosecutors seeks to revoke Young Slime Life defendant's probation

Jozsef Papp, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Oct 10, 2024

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ATLANTA — The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has filed a motion seeking to revoke the probation of a former co-defendant of Young Thug, alleging that he “knowingly and willfully” violated his plea agreement when he testified last month.

Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to violate the RICO act and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon back in Dec. 28, 2022. He was sentenced to 15 months probation.

As part of his plea deal, Sledge agreed to testify truthfully at trial.

The DA alleges that Sledge violated his plea agreement after he took the stand and disavowed facts “he had sworn were accurate and true” when he took the plea deal in December 2022.

In the motion, prosecutors argued that Sledge had the opportunity to review, correct or clarify any statements within the plea deal’s “factual acknowledgments” before affirming them under oath. Sledge said at the time that he fully understood the agreement and had discussed it with his attorney, prosecutors said.

“Most importantly, the Defendant acknowledged that he understood that any violation of the special conditions of this plea agreement could lead to the revocation of his probation, with the District Attorney recommending the maximum sentence allowed by law in the Georgia Department of Corrections,” the motion reads.

While on direct examination, Chief Deputy DA Adriane Love asked Sledge questions about the plea deal’s 16 factual acknowledgments. Sledge said most of them were not accurate.

On the stand, Sledge disputed facts he had earlier told prosecutors about the murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. in January 2015, including the alleged involvement of members of YSL in his killing, as well as actions by Young Thug and YSL members following Thomas’ death.

During cross-examination, Sledge acknowledged that being in the Fulton County Jail for eight months and being separated from his sick mother and children put pressure on him to accept a plea deal on December 2022.

After Sledge was done with his testimony, prosecutors called his attorney Derek Wright to the stand. Wright said Sledge didn’t have the funds to afford an attorney for a lengthy trial and that he could not take the case himself without bankrupting his law practice.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter reached out to Wright via email and phone but he could not be reached for comment.

Wright testified that Sledge just wanted to get the plea deal done, so they compromised on the wording of some of the factual acknowledgments.

The attorney later admitted that he “missed” the DA inserting a factual acknowledgment about Sledge having personal knowledge that Young Slime Life associates killed Thomas.

The DA’s office requested Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to schedule a hearing to determine whether or not Sledge’s probation should be revoked.

Prosecutors say the rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is the leader of YSL, which they contend is an Atlanta-based gang responsible for a spate of robberies, shootings and the murders of at least three people. Defense attorneys maintain their clients are innocent and say YSL is simply the name of Williams’ record label.

Sledge was part of the 28 defendants originally indicted alongside Williams on RICO charges. He is one of nine defendants who took plea deals before jury selection began in January 2023.

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