Two more Young Thug defendants accept plea deals

ATLANTA — Two more people are on trial along with the rapper Young Thug He pleaded guilty to reduced charges after reaching an agreement with prosecutors on Wednesday.

Requests came from Rodalius Ryan and Marquavius ​​Huey just a day later Another defendant, Quamarviv Nichols, made a plea agreement.

Ryan, 18, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to violate the state’s anti-racketeering law. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker accepted the terms of the plea agreement and sentenced Ryan to 10 years in prison, commuted to time served. However, although he is currently serving a life sentence for murder, he will remain behind bars due to an appeal against this sentence.

Leah Abbasi, one of Ryan’s lawyers, said they “categorically and steadfastly deny that YSL is the dangerous street gang that it is believed to be.” He said he made the best decision for his client’s future.

Young Thug, a hugely successful rapper, started his own record label called Young Stoner Life or YSL. Prosecutors said he was also a co-founder of a violent criminal street gang, and YSL stands for Young Slime Life. The rapper, whose name is Jeffery Williams, did not accept the charges against him.

Huey, 28, pleaded guilty to racketeering, robbery, weapons, gang and aggravated assault charges, while prosecutors agreed some sentences could be served concurrently. Whitaker accepted the plea deal and sentenced Huey to 25 years in prison; Nine of these will be imprisonment, 11 will be probation and five years will be suspended.

Careton Matthews Sr., one of Huey’s attorneys, said they “absolutely and categorically deny” some of the allegations read by the prosecutor, but acknowledged there was sufficient evidence to support the charges to which he pleaded guilty. He also pointed out that his client had already been detained for approximately four years and that this should be counted towards the nine years of detention.

Whitaker noted that Huey faces three consecutive life sentences plus nearly 100 years in prison, and said it was “frankly remarkable” that the state accepted his sentence for these “very serious charges.” He warned him not to violate the terms of the agreement, saying he would not show much leniency if he appeared before him again due to his relatively light sentence.

“You are facing a great opportunity to change your life,” he said, noting that he would probably be released from prison within a few years.

The defense has left the fate of Young Thug and two others still undecided in Georgia’s longest criminal case. Jury selection at the courthouse in Atlanta Started in January 2023 And it took almost 10 months. The trial started like this Opening remarks last November, and prosecutors have since called dozens of witnesses.

Grammy winner Young Thug was indicted two years ago A sweeping indictment charges him and more than two dozen others with conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He is also charged with gang, drug and weapons offences.

The nine people charged in the indictment accepted plea deals before the trial began. Twelve people are being tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant convicted of murder in an unrelated case.