Young Thug's RICO trial slowed down by alleged smuggled drugs in courtroom, reluctant jurors
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ATLANTA – Jury selection has been slow going in the trial for rapper Young Thug, accused by prosecutors of co-founding a criminal street gang responsible for violent crimes and using his songs and social media to promote it. The selection process has been delayed by potential jurors trying to get out of serving and alleged attempts to smuggle contraband to defendants.
The Atlanta-based artist, whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was charged along with more than two dozen people in a sprawling indictment last May, with more charges added in a second indictment in August. Fellow rapper Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, was also charged.
About 600 potential jurors were summoned earlier this month, and after several weeks of the judge and lawyers hearing from those who want to be excused, not a single juror has been seated, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
One defendant's mother was arrested Tuesday, accused of bringing “tobacco products” to her son in a bag of clothes, the newspaper reported. And Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville said last week that someone hid marijuana in shoes brought for a defendant.
On Wednesday, defendant Khalieff Adams handed a Percocet pill to Young Thug in the courtroom, prosecutors said in a motion filed Thursday. Jury selection was paused shortly after the alleged contraband handoff.
Young Thug trial is expected to last months, with his involvement in Young Slime Life (YSL) at the center of alleged criminal activity.
What to know about Young Thug's trial
Young Thug and 27 others were charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (or RICO) law.
Young Thug is accused of founding YSL, a street gang that allegedly committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade.
Fellow rapper Gunna entered an Alford plea last month to one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, which means he maintains his innocence but recognizes that it’s in his best interest to accept punishment.
Who is Young Thug?
Young Thug, 31, began rapping as a teenager and has become tremendously successful – performing around the world and starting his own record label, Young Stoner Life or YSL, of which he serves as CEO. Artists on his record label are considered part of the “Slime Family.”
He co-wrote the hit “This Is America” with Childish Gambino, which became the first hip-hop track to win song of the year at the Grammy Awards in 2019. His other hits include “Stoner” and “Best Friend.”
One of 11 siblings with six children of his own, Young Thug has deep roots in his native Atlanta and several lawful business ventures, his lawyers said in a May court filing that unsuccessfully sought his release on bond.
What is YSL?
Prosecutors say YSL also has a darker connotation: a violent street gang called Young Slime Life founded by Young Thug and two others in 2012 and affiliated with the national Bloods gang. The alleged gang members named in the indictment are accused of committing violent crimes – including murders, shootings and carjackings – to collect money for the gang, burnish its reputation and expand its power and territory.
The indictment includes rap lyrics that prosecutors allege are overt acts “in furtherance of the conspiracy,” including a line from a song they say Young Thug released on YouTube: “I’m in the VIP and I got that pistol on my hip, you prayin that you live I’m prayin that I hit.” Another of his lyrics quoted in the indictment says, “I never killed anybody but I got something to do with that body.”
Why is Young Thug in jail?
The August indictment accuses Young Thug of racketeering conspiracy and participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.
Attached to that filing were letters from more than a dozen music industry executives who have worked with Young Thug. They describe him as one of the most successful hip-hop artists in the world, a dedicated father and friend, a generous contributor to his community and a nurturing mentor to other artists.
In addition to specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of the alleged RICO conspiracy to further the gang’s interests.
The indictment also accuses alleged gang associates of trying to kill rapper YFN Lucci in the Fulton County Jail last February and says that an alleged gang associate shot at a bus in 2015 that was carrying rapper Lil Wayne.
Who else is involved in the case?
Eight others, including Gunna, have already taken plea deals in the case, and six – four of whom don’t have lawyers and two who haven’t been arrested – will be tried later, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Gunna pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, entering an Alford plea, which means he maintains his innocence but acknowledges that going to trial would likely result in a guilty verdict.
Contributing: Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY
More on celebrities facing legal battles:
Young Thug, Gunna named in sweeping RICO violation indictment
Young Thug remains in jail as judge denies bond in RICO case with Gunna
Gunna pleads guilty in racketeering case in Atlanta
Cage the Elephant singer Matt Shultz charged after NYC police say they found guns in hotel room
Tory Lanez found guilty of all charges in Megan Thee Stallion shooting
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Young Thug, YSL trial: Alleged drug smuggling slows jury selection
