Young Thug Sentenced To Time Served After Giving Judge A Passionate Speech

After many interruptions and miscues during the Young Thug RICO trial in Atlanta, the recording artist has entered a guilty plea to end the longest criminal trial in Georgia history.

According to NPR, Jeffrey Williams, known to the world as Young Thug, pled guilty on Oct. 31 after prosecutors requested that he be sentenced to 45 years, 25 in prison and 20 on probation. Instead, Fulton County Judge Paige Reese Whitaker allowed the rapper to go free, with conditions. “The total sentence is 40 years, to serve the first 5 years in prison but commuted to the time you’ve already served.”

CNN reported that Thug agreed to enter a non-negotiated guilty plea deal. Some of the charges included firearm possession and participation in criminal street gang activity, and he also pleaded no contest to racketeering and leading a criminal street gang. He was in custody for more than 900 days after he was initially booked in May 2022. He was one of 28 people named in a 56-count indictment.

The now-free rapper made a statement to the court after agreeing to the term the judge handed him.

Thug took “full responsibility” and apologized to his family and his immediate circle.

“I am a smart guy, I am a good guy, and I really got a good heart. I found myself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice and cool, and I understand you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad.”

Before handing Thug his sentence, Judge Whitaker stated, “I want you to be more of the solution and less of the problem.”

The conditions Thug agreed to include no longer residing in Atlanta for the first 10 years and not even being present in the city unless is essential for family functions like weddings and/or funerals. While he is on probation, he has to go perform community service several times a year.

Variety reported that three of Thug’s co-defendants, Rodalius Ryan (aka Lil Rod), Quamarvious Nichols (aka Qua), and Marquavius Huey (aka Qua) took pleas of their own earlier this week. Ryan, who is currently imprisoned for life for a previous murder case, pled guilty to a conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. His 10-year sentence has been commuted to time served. Nichols was sentenced to 20 years in prison after having several charges dropped, he is also required to serve seven years on probation. Huey had some of the charges against him dropped or reduced. He was sentenced to 25 years, of which only nine will be served in prison.