5 Things To Know About Young Thug’s Latest Arrest

Grammy award-winning rapper Young Thug was arrested May 9, 2022 in Atlanta, and charged with criminal street activity and a conspiracy to violate the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is listed alongside 27 other people in an 88-page indictment that lists more than 180 acts and 56 separate charges.

Here are five things to know about this bust.

Williams faces two charges: conspiracy to violate the RICO act and participation in criminal street gang activity

Of the 56-count indictment, one of the more serious offenses allegedly occurred on Jan. 7, 2015. Williams allegedly rented a car that was used during the murder of a rival gang member, according to the New York Times.

According to a string of tweets by WSBTV reporter Michael Seiden, two members of Williams’ label, YSL Records, allegedly got permission from him to attempt to kill YFN Lucci a second time.

In a statement to WSBTV, Williams’ attorney, Brian Steele, said his client hasn’t committed a crime.

“I’ll tell you the response to any allegation is Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him,” Steele said.

The indictment defines YSL as a “criminal street gang”

Williams founded the Atlanta-based record label, YSL (Young Stoner Life, also known as Young Slime Life) Records in 2016. It’s part of the Warner Music Group and has signed artists like Lil Gotti, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott.

According to USA Today, the 88-page indictment accuses YSL Records members to be part of a gang and committing violent crimes to collect money and enhance its power and territory.

The indictment claimed YSL “conspired to associate together and with others for the common purposes of illegally obtaining money and property through a pattern of racketeering activity and conducting and participating in the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity,” as reported by CNN.

The indictment also accused YSL of being affiliated with the national Bloods gang and believed to have started in late 2012 in Atlanta.

Jeffrey Williams Sr., Williams's father, told WSBTV, that his son is being unfairly linked to these crimes and YSL is a business and a record label, not a criminal street gang.

“I’m gonna fight for him to the end. I’m his father. That’s what I do,” Williams Sr. told the news station.

Fellow rapper Gunna is among those listed in the indictment

Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, has also been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate RICO, according to Complex.

Additionally, the “Drip Too Hard” rapper has been accused of felony possession of meth, marijuana, and hydrocodone with an intent to distribute. Kitchens also faces counts of theft by receiving stolen property in the indictment.

The indictment uses Williams’ own lyrics and social media as evidence against him

The indictment listed lyrics and music videos by Williams including one from 2018 in which he said, "I never killed anybody but I got something to do with that body," and, "I told them to shoot hundred rounds,” according to NPR.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in a recent press conference, while she respects the First Amendment, “it does not protect people from prosecutors using it as evidence if it is so.”

Williams has a history of arrests dating back to 2015

This is not Williams’ first run-in with law enforcement. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the rapper, who co-wrote Childish Gambino’s Grammy-award winning song “This is America,” had his home raided in July 2015 after allegedly threatening a police officer.

He’s also been arrested in 2016, for failure to appear in court, and in 2017 for drug charges.