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Young Stoner Life continues to battle adversity in court, as both Young Thug and Gunna have been denied bond in YSL’s ongoing RICO case.
The latest development sees Gunna’s bond denied for a second time in a July 7 hearing. The Atlanta rapper will remain in jail until next year following allegations that he is a “documented” member of the alleged Young Slime Life street gang.
Per Billboard, a Georgia judge first refused to release Gunna and Thug on May 23, denying pre-trial for the Drip Season 4 emcee and deferring Thug’s case entirely. Gunna’s trial is currently set for Jan. 9, 2023, while Thug’s bond was officially denied in a hearing on June 2.
According to 11Alive and Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times, the delay in Young Thug’s hearing stems from an alleged conflict of interest between the court and Thug’s attorney Brian Steel. However, that was settled, with prosecutors claiming that the collective’s lyrics are based on real life situations — accusing Thug as the head and founder of the Young Slime Life street gang. Steel offered an “extensive bond package” that was still refused by the court’s prosecution.
“I’m willing to back him personally and professionally,” 300 Entertainment co-founder Kevin Liles testified on the YSL rapper’s behalf, offering context to Thug’s character.
Fulton County Superior Court judge Ural D. Glanville said his decision was based on statements from prosecutors claiming Thug is a “danger to the community” and could manipulate other witnesses — citing a group chat from 2015 that threatened backlash if anybody “tells the God honest truth.”
“There have been significant proffers about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community,” said the judge. “In particular, the state’s proffer that they have taken proffers from other gang members and people who are in this particular indictment and that are not in this indictment, that he is the leader of the gang, he is dangerous, and if he crosses them, he will kill them or their families.”
“The two things that the court has significant concerns about is him being a danger to the community and flight,” he continued. “For those reasons in the aggregate, I’m going to deny bond at this time.”
Lil Gotit speaks to Young Thug, Gunna following Lil Keed’s death
Amid the untimely death of YSL rising star Lil Keed, his brother and fellow rapper Lil Gotit was the one to break the news to both Young Thug and Gunna — taking to Instagram to explain how Thug and Gunna are dealing with the loss of Keed while locked up.
“Talked to [Young Thug] yesterday,” he wrote. “keed u fucked him up with this one but we know you guarding him through these times and make sure he gone be alright We da Proud Family can’t nothing stop us… Talked to [Gunna], he good, just sad what’s goin on wit twin but everything gone be in our favor.”
Keed’s death came just days after Thug was denied bail from Fulton County. Following a raid at his home in Buckhead, Georgia in early May, Thug was additionally booked for a large quantity of drugs and illegal possession of firearms — which included a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle and fully automatic machine gun.
A total of seven new felony charges were added to Thug’s RICO rapsheet, as he was declared “flight risk” with potential to commit further crimes if he was released.
Young Thug, Gunna booked into Fulton County Jail in Georgia
The PUNK rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams, was admitted into Fulton County Jail on May 9 where he combats accusations of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and involvement in criminal gang activity, per WSB-TV.
The grounds for this RICO charge are based on alleged offenses — one in January 2013, and the other in May 2018, as well as a 56-count grand jury indictment from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. YSL superstar Gunna was also charged for one count in violation of RICO and was booked into Fulton County Jail on May 11.
XXL reported that one of these incidents alleged that members of YSL sought out Thug for permission to order a hit on rapper YFN Lucci while he was jailed in Atlanta. Thug appeared in court via Zoom on May 10, but did not say a single word.
Young Thug’s attorney claimed his innocence to WSB-TV and had this to say following his arrest: “I’ll tell you the response to any allegation is Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him.”
According to Rolling Stone and Complex, the grand jury indictment also lists the names of 28 YSL affiliates involved in this activity. The aforementioned report refers to Young Stoner Life as a “criminal street gang that started in late 2012” that “claims affiliation with the national Bloods gang.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The indictment states that Thug and YSL member engaged in activities such as:
- Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.
- Preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise by the posting of messages, images, videos and songs, demonstrating allegiance to the enterprise and a willingness to engage in violence on its behalf.
- Maintaining armed individuals ready and willing to preserve, protect and enhance the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through the use of violence.
- Obtaining money, weapons and other property through acts of racketeering activity, including robbery, theft and the unlawful sale and distribution of drugs.
- Obstructing law enforcement investigations and court proceedings through witness intimidation and attacks upon law enforcement officers.
