YOUNG THUG RELEASED FROM JAIL, PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES

Young Thug is finally a free man. The Grammy-winning rapper, known offstage as Jeffery Lamar Williams, walked out of jail Thursday night after striking a plea deal on charges of gang affiliation, drug trafficking, and weapons possession. This unexpected turn brings closure to what had become the longest-running criminal trial in Georgia’s history.

Thug, 33, has spent over 900 days locked up since his 2022 arrest on racketeering charges, with prosecutors claiming his label wasn’t just about music but was running Atlanta’s streets, allegedly connected to “75 to 80% of violent crime” in the city.

But now, with time served and a 15-year probation period tacked on, Young Thug steps back into the world. According to jail records, he was released later that night, marking the end of a saga that rocked the Atlanta rap scene and beyond.

“I take full responsibility for my crimes, for my charges,” Mr Williams told the court.

“To really everybody that has got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry.”

In a five-minute speech, he described himself as “a good guy with a good heart” who found himself “in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool”.

“And I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end badly… and it could fall on you.”

Prosecutors had planned to recommend a sentence of 45 years, including 25 in custody and 20 on probation. However, the plea negotiations were unsuccessful, and Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker instead chose his punishment, commuting his sentence to the time he has already served, BBC reports.

Young Thug also entered a no-contest plea to leading a gang and violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, meaning he does not dispute these charges and accepts the punishment.

Judge Whitaker’s sentence includes 100 hours of community service, a ban on any contact with gang members or former co-defendants, and a restriction from living in the Atlanta metro area for the first 10 years of his 15-year probation. Thug may only return for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, or for anti-gang and anti-gun talks he must give four times a year.

Thursday’s plea marks the conclusion of a long-running, multi-defendant case filled with delays, courtroom issues, and repeated mistrial requests.