ATLANTA – Rappers Young Thug and his Young Slime (YSL) Life syndicate were arrested early Monday morning.
Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is charged with conspiring to associate with one another and with others for the common purpose of obtaining money and property unlawfully through a pattern of racketeering activity and conducting and participating in the enterprise through of a pattern of organized crime activity.
Williams and more than two dozen other alleged YSL members were charged.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office will hold a news conference at 1 pm to discuss the charges.
ONLY IN: Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis, Sheriff Patrick Labat and Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. to discuss Monday’s indictment against Young Thug, Gunna and others 26 alleged associates of the YSL street gang. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/RUEXKwD1n6
-Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) May 10, 2022
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The indictment also said that Williams and the YSL member engaged in activities such as:
- Preserve, protect, and enhance the Company’s reputation, power, and territory through acts of organized criminal activity, including murder, assault, and threats of violence;
- Preserve, protect, and enhance the company’s reputation, power, and territory by posting messages, images, videos, and songs, demonstrating loyalty to the company and willingness to engage in violence on its behalf;
- Keep armed people ready and willing to preserve, protect and enhance the company’s reputation, power and territory through the use of violence;
- Obtaining money, weapons, and other property through acts of organized criminal activity, including robbery, theft, and the illegal sale and distribution of drugs;
- Obstructing police investigations and court proceedings by intimidating witnesses and attacks on law enforcement officials.
In a 56-count indictment, 28 people have been named, including Sergio Kitchens, who goes by the rap name Gunna.
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Williams’ attorney, Brian Steel, said Channel 2’s Mark Winne that your client did not commit any crime.
“I will tell you that the answer to any accusation is Mr. Williams did not commit any crime and we will fight to the last drop of blood to clean him up,” he said.
Police said YSL claims to be affiliated with the national Bloods gang and that Williams is one of three alleged YSL founders.
Authorities also said the gang was believed to have started in late 2012 in the Cleveland Avenue area of Atlanta.
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“We hope that in the coming days, weeks and months we will file RICO indictments against gang members, even high-level gang members, to make sure we rid them of our society,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told Winne in an interview. In the past week.
Christian Eppinger, also named in the indictment, is the same individual accused of shooting Atlanta police officer David Rodgers six times in February, seriously wounding him.
Young Thug is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday morning.
Channel 2 Action News will keep you updated as details come in.
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