Authorities apprehended and indicted Atlanta rapper Young Thug at his home on charges of gang involvement and conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act on Monday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, is accused of co-founding a criminal street gang named Young Slime Life in Atlanta in 2012 that has an affiliation with the national Bloods gang. The indictment alleges that the YSL gang has involvement in murder, attempted murder, witness intimidation, drug dealing, carjacking, robbery and theft, The New York Times reports.
Dwayne Carter, known by his stage name Lil Wayne, was noted as a victim in the 88-page indictment. The New Orleans rapper’s tour bus was allegedly shot at by YSL associate Jimmy Winfrey in April 2015, The New York Times reports.
Williams and Carter formerly had a well-documented professional disagreement. Still, the two men eventually buried the hatchet and were recently spotted recording together in the studio in early April, Complex reports.
After Young Thug was taken into custody, his lawyer, Brian Steel, said that the rapper had “committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him,” The Guardian reports.
JUST IN: @youngthug booked into @FultonSheriff on charges of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act & Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activity. He will make his first appearance on Tuesday at 1130 am. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/LRSeus8Lsc
— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) May 10, 2022
The state of Georgia instituted the RICO Act to crack down and bring charges against gangs and criminal organizations, according to The Guardian.
JUST IN: @youngthug booked into @FultonSheriff on charges of Conspiracy to Violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act & Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activity. He will make his first appearance on Tuesday at 1130 am. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/LRSeus8Lsc
— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) May 10, 2022
Williams and 27 other associates of record label YSL were also listed in the indictment, including rap artist Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens. Gunna faces one count of the RICO Act violation, but has not been formally arrested. Kitchens recently dropped an album in January titled DS4Ever.
Other YSL rappers named in the document include Yak Gotti, who is accused with four other people of the killing of Donovan Thomas Jr.
Three other alleged YSL members are accused of attempting to murder rapper YFN Lucci, who was stabbed in jail after he was indicted on a murder charge. The indictment also alleges that Williams’ associates asked for the rapper’s permission to make an attempt on YFN Lucci’s life while in jail, XXL reports.
The indictment goes on to accuse Williams of threatening to kill a man at a shopping mall and renting a car that was used during the killing of Thomas Jr. Williams is also accused of being in the possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The rapper, however, has not been formally charged with the offenses, according to The Guardian.