YSL RICO Trial continues for remaining defendants after Young Thug’s plea deal

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – The YSL RICO Trial will continue on Monday, following last week’s bombshell plea deals that resulted in rapper Young Thug being released from prison.

on thursday, The rapper whose name is Jeffery Williams, Pleaded guilty to gang, drug and weapons charges at the Fulton County Courthouse.

“I want to apologize to my family, my mother… My mother has 11 children, I can’t name all of them, you know. My managers, my children are not here… really everyone who has anything to do with this situation, I would like to apologize,” he told the court.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Young Thug to 40 years in prison; The first 5 were sentenced to imprisonment, but it was commuted to imprisonment. He will then be on probation for 15 years and will be required to report to his probation officer during the first half. He also faces up to 20 years in prison if he fails probation.

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As part of the plea agreement, the rapper had to leave the metro Atlanta area after his release and stay away for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illnesses of family members.

Young Thug will also be required to give four annual live anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentations at metro Atlanta schools or community organizations that work with children.

“I want you to try to be more of a solution and less of a problem,” Whitaker said.

Previous plea agreements in the YSL case

Along with Young Thug, three other defendants also took plea deals for their charges. Rodalius Ryan, also known as Lil Rod, and Marquavius ​​Huey, also known as Qua, reached agreements in Fulton County court Wednesday afternoon. on tuesday 29-year-old Quamarviv Nicholsaccepted a plea deal. In exchange for his guilty plea to the RICO charge, all but one of the charges against Nichols were dropped.

Before the hearing begins, Another high-profile Atlanta rapper, Gunna, pleaded guilty He was charged with a deal that allowed him to avoid extra detention time. Gunna said he pleaded not guilty and pleaded guilty in the way that was in his best interest.

Only two defendants remain on trial following plea agreements: Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell.

On the same day that Young Thug accepted the deal, Gotti announced that he would proceed with the trial.

Douglas Weinstein, who represents Gotti, said his client “fully intends to take this to the jury, get our not guilty verdicts and go home.”

What are the remaining defendants in the YSL Case accused of?

Deamonte Kendrick (Yak Gotti): conspiracy to violate RICO, murder (2015 murder of Donovan Thomas), participation in criminal street gang activity, 3 violations of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, machine gun possession of a rifle and possession of a firearm by a felon previously convicted of a felony involving the use or possession of a firearm.

Shannon Stillwell (Shannon Jackson or SB): Conspiracy to violate RICO, 2 counts murder (2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr. and 2022 murder of Shymel Drinks), 2 counts participation in criminal street gang activity, 2 prior shootings possession of a firearm by a felon convicted of a felony involving the use or possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Twelve people are being tried separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

FOX 5 Atlanta has been following this case for nearly a year, following a jury selection process that lasted nearly 10 months. This is now the longest running case in Georgia history.