Young Thug to Remain Jailed Until 2023 After Being Denied Bond in Racketeering Case

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Prosecutors described Young Thug as, “the top dog, the most dangerous man here, because he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty, he has others to do his business," Thursday as they moved to deny bond to the Atlanta-based rapper.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was one of 28 people associated with his YSL record imprint indicted on May 9 on conspiracy to violate the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and street gang charges.

Fulton County, Georgia, Judge Ural Glanvilld, handed the ruling down — which will keep Young Thug in jail until January of next year when he is expected to go on trial — in part because he was concerned with witness intimidation.

“I realize that Mr. Williams is presumed innocent,” Judge Glanville said. “However, in this particular circumstance there have been significant [claims] about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community.”

Prosecutor Don Geary told Judge Glanville during the hearing that Young Thug should not be allowed to “buy” his way out of jail and that other alleged gang members had admitted to prosecutors that they feared Young Thug and retaliation.

“They have stated uniformly that Mr. Williams is dangerous, they are afraid of him, that if they cross him he will kill them and their family,” Geary told Judge Glanville. “And they were very clear about that.”

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Lawyers for Young Thug tried to derail the prosecution's allegations delivered in the 88-page indictment that the record imprint he co-founded, YSL, is a violent street gang called Young Slime Life that has committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade presenting several witnesses of their own. 

Music executive Kevin Liles, the co-founder of 300 Entertainment, offered perhaps the most powerful testimony. He tearfully testified that Williams was “like a son” and said he was willing to put up his own wealth and business behind a bond for him. 

Kevin Liles spoke to his relationship with Young Thug, his character, and the relevance of his rap lyrics to the RICO gang case during Thug’s bond hearing

FULL: https://t.co/98Qtl8BknB pic.twitter.com/WpdvJjoQd6

— Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) June 2, 2022

Liles added: "[Young Thug] is not just an artist — he’s an influencer, a person I think was put here to change the people around him” and a “contributing citizen to this world.” 

Williams who has been in custody since his arrest last month at his home in an upscale neighborhood north of downtown Atlanta, joins labelmate, platinum rapper and mentee Gunna, real name Sergio Kitchens, as the two most notable YSL members to be denied bail after he was denied bond by a judge last week.