Young Thug pleading guilty in lengthy gang case

ATLANTA — After nearly two and a half years behind bars, Atlanta rapper Young Thug is pleading guilty in his sprawling gang and racketeering trial that became the longest in state history.

But the musician’s legal team and Fulton County prosecutors “reached an impasse” over what his punishment should be, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker said in court Thursday.

In a risky move, they are entering into a non-negotiated plea and leaving the final sentencing decision up to her.

The Grammy-winning musician, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, appeared nervous as he stood with his attorneys in first-floor courtroom of the Fulton County Courthouse, where he spent countless hours over the past 23 months.

His decision to plead guilty comes days after three of his co-defendants, Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Marquavius Huey, also accepted plea deals in case.

Intense negotiations between prosecutors and defense attorneys have been going on for more than a week.

Prosecutors accuse the 33-year-old Williams of being the leader of Young Slime Life, which they contend is a criminal street gang responsible for a spate of robberies, shootings and the deaths of several people.

The rapper’s attorneys maintained that YSL, or Young Stoner Life, was simply the name of the star’s record label.

He was one of 28 people charged in the sweeping indictment that stunned Atlanta’s hip-hop community when it was handed down in May 2022.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis depicted the indictment as a crackdown on Atlanta’s gangs. She also defended her decision to use the rapper’s own lyrics against him, saying, “if you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m going to use it.”

Of the 28 people initially charged, nine defendants took plea deals before trial began and 12 others are being tried separately. Another defendant, Cordarius Dorsey, had his charges dropped after being convicted of an unrelated murder.

Williams’ hearing is ongoing.

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