Young Thughas been released from jail after reaching a plea deal on gang, drug, and weapons charges, ending what became Georgia’s longest criminal trial.
The 33-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, spent over 900 days in custody after his 2022 arrest on racketeering charges. Prosecutors alleged his music label was involved in organized crime, reportedly linked to “75 to 80% of violent crime” in Atlanta.
Now, with time served and a 15-year probation added, Young Thug is out of jail. Jail records show he was released Thursday night, closing a case that had major implications for Atlanta’s rap scene.
“I take full responsibility for my crimes, for my charges,” Mr Williams told the court.
“To really everybody that has got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry.”
In a five-minute speech, he described himself as “a good guy with a good heart” who found himself “in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool”.
“And I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad… and it could fall on you.”
Prosecutors had planned to recommend a sentence of 45 years, including 25 in custody and 20 on probation. However, the plea negotiations were unsuccessful, and Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker instead chose his punishment, commuting his sentence to the time he has already served, BBC reports.
Young Thug also entered a no-contest plea to leading a gang and violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, meaning he does not dispute these charges and accepts the punishment.
Judge Whitaker’s sentence includes 100 hours of community service, a ban on any contact with gang members or former co-defendants, and a restriction from living in the Atlanta metro area for the first 10 years of his 15-year probation. Thug may only return for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, or for anti-gang and anti-gun talks he must give four times a year.
Thursday’s plea marks the conclusion of a long-running, multi-defendant case filled with delays, courtroom issues, and repeated mistrial requests.
