On Oct. 31, Atlanta rapper Jeffery Williams, also known as Young Thug, was pronounced a free man. In 2022, Williams was arrested on gang and racketeering charges, and as of Thursday, he was released from custody.
The original charge against Williams was a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act charge, as well as drug and gun possession charges.
Williams was freed upon accepting a plea deal. He will now be serving 40 years: five in prison which were commuted to time served, 15 years of probation and 20 years in prison which will be commuted if all conditions of probation are complied with. This sentence is reduced from 45 years – to 25 in prison and 20 on probation.
The conditions of Williams’ probation are for him to stay away from the Atlanta metro area, unless for a funeral, wedding or serious illness of a family member. In that case, he must arrive within 24 hours of the event, and leave no later than 48 hours after. He also must return to Atlanta four times a year to make an anti-gang or anti-gun violence presentation, each of which will contribute to his yearly requirement of 100 community service hours.
He cannot contact any members of his criminal street gang, including those named in the indictment, except for his brother and fellow rapper Gunna, with whom he has contractual obligations.
He cannot contact any victims involved in the case or their families. He may not own a gun, must not use drugs other than those prescribed to him, must submit to random drug tests and must allow searches of himself, his property and electronics.
The trial included many memorable moments, including Williams’ lawyer being popularized for making statements such as the “Thug” in Young Thug standing for “Truly Humble Under God,” and saying that his song, “pushin P,” stood for “Pushing Positivity.” Other moments that went internet crazy included Williams enjoying a song being played to prove his guilt, and Williams’ previous lawyer mentioning the TV show Attack on Titan, which was very popular among social media.
