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ATLANTA – The trial of Youth Thug and his co-defendants in Fulton County took an unforeseen turn Wednesday when the court’s Zoom call was accessed.
Someone accessed the internal Zoom call and shouted “Free the bully, mistrial” repeatedly. The incident prompted Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville to warn all parties not to post the Zoom call link and to seek prior authorization off-site.
The cross-examination of Trontavious Stephens, a co-founder of YSL and a friend of the Atlanta rapper continued for about three hours without a lunch break. Stephens, also known as “Tick” and “Slug,” has been on the stand for the last few days of the trial, answering questions from the prosecution about his connection with the YSL organization, his plea deal, and possible gang connections.
On Wednesday, he said that when Young Thug became famous, many other people were willing to marry him. The rapper’s attorney stressed in Stephens’ testimony that his client would rap about a “gangster image” to gain a reputation and more followers.
Stephens is expected to be back on the stand with testimony to resume around 10 a.m. Thursday.
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accuses Young Thug and 27 others of conspiring to violate the Georgia Law on Corrupt and Mafia-Influenced Organizations. known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of criminal gang activities, as well as drug and firearms trafficking.
Prosecutors say Young Thug and two others co-founded a violent street gang of criminals in 2012, Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is linked to the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug “made YSL a family call by referencing her in his songs and on social media. “
In addition to the express charges, the August indictment includes a long list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 from the alleged conspiracy to advertise the gang’s interests.
Included in that list is an allegation that Young Thug threatened in July 2015 to shoot a security guard who was trying to get him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Young Thug rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the killing of a rival gang member. And, on numerous occasions, he and others are alleged to have possessed various illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.
Young Thug’s lawyers have said in several court documents that he is not guilty of all the crimes charged in the indictment. They argue that YSL is just a record label. The rapper has pleaded guilty.
Several defense attorneys in the case said prosecutors were overzealous in their use of RICO and the anti-gang law, both of which carry harsh penalties.
Rapper Gunna, whose first name is Sergio Kitchens, has been charged with a single count of conspiracy to extort. He pleaded guilty to Alford in December, meaning he maintains his innocence but acknowledges that pleading guilty is in his best interest.
During Gunna’s plea hearing, the rapper replied “Yes, ma’am” when a prosecutor said that “YSL is a record label and a gang” and that he knew its members or had committed crimes. gang crimes.
The other two people accused of co-founding the YSL gang, Walter Murphy and Trontavious Stephens, were also charged. In December, they pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the racketeering law.
The defendants are Marquavius Huey, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick, Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan and Shannon Stillwell.
Young Thug’s extortion conspiracy rate and the two gang rates carry a sentence of five to 20 years for criminal offenses. The other five fees also carry a criminal sentence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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