Young Thug Says His Health is in Jeopardy, Requests Bond as He Awaits Trial

Rapper Young Thug is still being held without bond, and he claims that his health is suffering as a result. The 31-year-old was arrested in May of 2022 and indicted on charges relating to organized crime activity, and the court has not granted him the opportunity to pay bond as he awaits his trial. Last week, his attorney pleaded the court to reconsider, saying that Young Thug is “languishing in County Jail.”

Young Thug’s lawyers filed a motion on Monday, April 24 saying that their client is facing serious health issues due to his detention and he will not be able to recover while he is in custody. According to a report by 11 Alive, they said that the rapper – whose real name is Jeffery Williams – is confined to a small cell at all times with no access to sunlight and fresh air except on the rare occasions when he is transported to the courthouse. They said that this has limited his ability to exercise and he does not have access to healthy, nourishing foods either. On top of that, they said that he is “sleep-deprived” due to the conditions in the jail, averaging five hours of sleep per night.

“By the end of the week, Mr. Williams is fighting to pay attention to the goings on in his case,” the motion reads. The attorneys pointed out that “conditions can be imposed which permit bond to be set” so that their client can be released from jail without becoming a flight risk or a potential danger to the community.

Young Thug’s case has been taken extremely seriously because of its connections to organized crime. The rapper himself is accused of leading a gang in Atlanta, Georgia called YSL – an acronym he has used in his work including the name of his label, YSL Records. Authorities say that YSL is also a criminal enterprise with ties to the larger Bloods gang organization. Young Thug and 27 others associated with YSL were charged with violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

The arrest was complicated by an unannounced raid on Young Thug’s home that resulted in seven other criminal charges. The rapper was charged with possession of illegal substances and possession of illegal firearms. However, so far the rapper has pleaded not guilty to the RICO charges and maintains his innocence as he awaits trial.

It’s not clear if Young Thug will be granted bond, or when the trial might move forward for that matter. The jury selection process has lasted five months so far – a record for Fulton County – and it may not be close to a conclusion. Fans remain divided over Young Thug’s status on social media.