A judge ordered that possessions seized from Young Thug during the YSL trial be returned, allowing the rapper to regain several vehicles, cash and assorted jewelry.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker on Monday ruled in favor of a defense motion regarding the items, which included $149,426 in cash, a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette, 2022 Porsche 911 and 2018 Lamborghini Aventador.
The state can appeal the ruling.
Why It Matters
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, and 27 others were indicted in 2022 on charges related to racketeering conspiracy and participation in criminal street gang activity, along with drug and gun violations. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants were associated with the gang YSL, or Young Slime Life.
What To Know
Prior to the hearing, Williams’ lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the forfeiture complaint related to the seized property. The lawyers claimed in the motion obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta that prosecutors failed to hold a hearing within 60 days of a court order lifting a stay on the forfeiture proceedings.
Prosecutors argued in a response that Williams’ lawyers had requested a continuance of a hearing in May and did not oppose the new date until the filing of the motion to dismiss.
In October 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to most charges but pleaded no contest to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and participation in criminal street gang activity. His plea deal ended his part of the YSL trial, which began in November 2023. He was sentenced to five years in prison commuted to time served and 15 years’ probation, followed by 20 years in prison, and released. The backloaded prison sentence will be commuted if Williams complies with the terms of his probation.
What People Are Saying
Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Jeff DiSantis, in a statement sent to FOX 5 Atlanta: “While we are gratified that the defendant will not be receiving gang-related jewelry back, we are perplexed that Judge Whitaker dismissed the case based on a timeline requested by defense counsel and a date the court set for trial.”
Leigh Ann Webster, attorney for Jeffery Williams, on X: “Done & done! We got all of his stuff back. But to be clear, even if we had gotten to the merits, we should have won that too. It was such a thrill to work with Brian Steel on this, the best lawyer around. A true honor that he let me join the team.”
What Happens Next
DiSantis said the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is “evaluating the case now for possible appeal considering that strange procedural history.”
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