Rapper Young Thug was arrested on Monday and indicted on RICO charges, indicating that he is suspected of a serious criminal conspiracy. The 30-year-old rapper – whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams – has denied the allegations. He was arrested alongside rapper Gunna and 26 other members of the YSL Records label.
Young Thug – also known as “Thugger” – was arrested in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia on the night of Monday, May 9 according to local news station WSBTV. Police took him into custody at his home and indicted him on charges of “conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.” He was also charged with murder, armed robbery and participation in criminal street gang activity. Young Thug was reportedly booked into Fulton County jail, and it is not clear if he was granted bail or if he is still in custody.
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Young Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel issued a statement shortly after the arrest. He insisted his client is innocent and said confidently that he would be cleared of all charges. He said: “Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him.”
“Mr. Williams has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. We will fight this case ethically, legally and zealously,” Steel added in a statement to XXL Magazine. “Mr. Williams will be cleared.”
Legal filings and statements from prosecutors so far indicate that they intend to connect Young Thug’s YSL Records with the national Bloods gang. Among the allegations is an incident of commissioned murder with a vehicle rented in Young Thug’s name in 2015 and an incident of attempted commissioned murder inside Fulton County Jail more recently. That second case concerns rapper YFN Lucci who has a longstanding feud with Young Thug. Prosecutors say he is also a rival gang member.
The raid on Young Thug’s home reportedly resulted in 10 arrests in total including the rapper himself. The indictment includes a total of 56 charges, including those against Young Thug and Gunna. Gunna’s lawyers have not yet issued a public statement.
In his musical career, Young Thug is still promoting the release of his latest album Punk in November of 2021. He has two prominent shows scheduled for June and several more in July. There’s no telling how this legal battle will impact those performances. At the time of this writing, those tickets are still on sale.
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