Fulton County prosecutors seek trial for 5 more YSL defendants

Jozsef Papp, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 6, 2024

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA — Fulton County prosecutors didn’t even take a weekend after the conclusion of the longest trial in Georgia history before they started gearing up for a second trial in the gang and racketeering “Young Slime Life” case.

Prosecutors said in a filing on Friday they are planning to take the remaining five defendants in the case to a jury in February.

The request for a trial comes days after a jury rendered a verdict of not guilty on the most serious charges for the two defendants left standing in the first trial in the sprawling case on Tuesday. Prosecutors dropped charges against six other defendants on Wednesday. The judge had asked the parties to work out plea negotiations by Dec. 17.

In a motion on Friday requesting the trial, Chief Deputy District Attorney Adam Abbate said prosecutors intend to go to trial against Christian Eppinger, Miles Farley, Damekion Garlington, Demise McMullen and Tenquarius Mender. The DA’s office is asking Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to set trial proceedings to commence on Feb. 24.

“This request is made to ensure adequate time for the resolution of any outstanding motions that may be filed by the five remaining defendants, as well as to facilitate the coordination of witness appearances and transportation,” prosecutors said.

Unlike the previous trial, which involved Atlanta rapper Young Thug and five other alleged associates and became the longest trial in Georgia’s history, prosecutors expect this next trial to last around three months. In the first YSL trial, prosecutors called more than 175 witnesses and spent more than a year presenting evidence.

Jury selection began January 2023, lasting 10 months and included some of the remaining defendants before they were removed from the case.

Eppinger is facing 14 charges, including violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, armed robbery and attempted murder. He is accused of shooting an Atlanta police officer in February 2022 while on probation. He was granted bond on that case but never released.

He was severed from the original case after it was revealed he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a courtroom deputy. Officials alleged Eppinger was using his attorney’s laptop to message the deputy on social media. The attorney’s laptop was seized as a result and Eppinger was removed from the case.

Farley, who is the alleged creator of the “Make America Slime Again” clothing line, has been on house arrest while awaiting trial after he was granted bond at $625,000. He remains the only defendant indicted in the case that received a bond.

He faces five charges including RICO and murder in the 2022 death of Shymel Drinks. Farley was removed from the case after his attorney, Anastasios Manettas, was arrested in April 2022 after he allegedly entered the courtroom with some of his prescription medication.

Manettas said his client is innocent and prepared to go to trial.

Similar to Farley, Garlington faces murder charges in relation to the Drinks’ murder. Shannon Stillwell was acquitted of Drinks’ murder on Tuesday, while Quamarvious Nichols had his murder charge dropped after taking a plea deal in October.

Garlington and Eppinger are also charged with the stabbing of Rashawn “YFN Lucci” Bennett, a rapper and alleged rival gang member, inside the Fulton County Jail.

McMullen remains the lone defendant still charged in the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. after Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick were acquitted and prosecutors said they would drop charges against Justin Cobb and Javaris Bradford.

Garlington and McMullen were removed from the case in December 2022 because they didn’t yet have attorneys.

Mender, who faces RICO and gang charges, rejected a plea deal in December 2022 but was later severed from the case because his attorney, Nicole Fegan, was pregnant, which raised issues related to the unknown timetable for jury selection.

Whitaker, who was the third judge to oversee the first YSL trial before its verdict, is expected to preside over the trial against the remaining five defendants.