Rapper Young Thug sentenced after pleading guilty to all drugs, guns, and gang charges

Rapper Young Thug pleaded guilty on Thursday to multiple drug, gang, and gun charges despite not reaching a plea deal with prosecutors, and was sentenced to up to 40 years.

The rapper, whose given name is Jeffery Williams, was charged in a wide-reaching indictment two years ago along with nearly two dozen other people. The central part of the indictment was allegations that all defendants conspired to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. 

Young Thug pleaded guilty to three drug charges, one gang charge, and two gun charges, and pleaded no contest to racketeering and another gang charge, according to the Associated Press.

Lead prosecutor Adriane Love recommended a total prison sentence of 45 years, 25 of which would be in a prison and 20 years of probation. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced him to 40 years. However, only the first five needed to be served in prison and was commuted to time served. 

Whitaker also sentenced him to 15 years of parole. If he violates the parole, he would be sentenced to another 20 years in prison. However, if he does not break his probation then the 20 years would be commuted to time served.

The 33-year-old rapper was also ordered not to return to the Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation, unless its for weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illness of family members. But he was also been told to return to Atlanta four times a year for a live anti-gang and anti-gun violence presentation at a school or a community organization serving children.

Whitaker additionally ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service for every year of his parole.

Love outlined the arguments and evidence she would have brought to convict the 33-year-old rapper, which include some of his rap lyrics. Young Thug's attorneys claimed the evidence in the case was weak, and that using the rapper's lyrics against him was "offensive."

Young Thug's lead attorney Brian Steel maintained that his client was innocent, but did not want to go through the pains of a longer trial.

"He told me, ‘I can’t wait another three months if there is any possibility I could go home because I have children that are hurting. I have things to do,’” Steel said.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.