Rapper Young Thug was released due to time served under house arrest as part of a plea deal in Georgia's RICO case

ATLANTA– Young Thug was sentenced to prison as part of a wide-ranging trial that originally involved dozens of defendants.

The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was released Thursday night after more than 900 days in prison, according to prison records. As part of the non-negotiated plea agreement, he must serve a 15-year suspended sentence.

Williams entered into a non-negotiated guilty plea deal Thursday in connection with several charges, including firearm possession and participating in criminal street gang activity, while pleading no contest to racketeering and running a criminal street gang. The case was the longest in Georgia's history.

In 2022, Williams was indicted along with more than two dozen others under Georgia's sweeping Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO.

Prosecutors accused the rapper of leading a criminal street gang that committed murders and a series of violent crimes in Atlanta a decade ago. Williams has denied being the head of a criminal enterprise.

They argued that YSL – the acronym for the artist's label, Young Stoner Life Records – also stands for Young Slime Life, an Atlanta-based criminal street gang affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

Prosecutors wanted to prove that Young Thug was the declared leader of the YSL gang and was involved in crimes committed by its members, including the fatal shooting of a suspected rival gang member in 2015. According to prosecutors, Young Thug had allegedly rented a car, which was used by YSL members for the murder.

Several other defendants charged in the case, including rapper Gunna, entered plea agreements or had their cases dismissed. Young Thug was one of six defendants who appeared in court together. The rapper has been in prison since his arrest in May 2022.

Williams pleaded guilty to six counts – one count of engaging in street gang criminal activity, three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and one count of possession of a machine gun.

The two uncontested pleas meant that he could still be convicted of the charges as if a guilty plea had been entered, even if he did not contest the charges.

When the judge asked if he would like to comment Thursday, Williams said he took full responsibility and apologized to his family before asking Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to let him go home allow.

“I'm a smart guy. I'm a good guy. I really have a good heart,” Williams told the judge as he stood before her. “I find myself in a lot of things because I was just nice or cool, you know, and I understand that when you reach a certain size you can't be like that anymore because it might end (badly).”

Williams added, “I have learned from my mistakes.” He mentioned some of the free concerts he has hosted and the money he has donated to single parents and related charities.

Before imposing a penalty, Whitaker told Williams, “I want you to try to be more the solution and less the problem.”

The case sparked intense criticism because prosecutors used rap lyrics as evidence of the gang's actions and existence – an action that some said was a racist violation of freedom of speech and artistic expression and the latest attack on black art represented.

Williams told the judge Thursday he understands how the lyrics of rap music “can be twisted” and said he understands the impact they can have on people's minds.

“I promise you, I will 100% change this,” Williams said.

Whitaker ordered Williams to stay away from metro Atlanta starting two days after his release from prison for the first 10 years of his probation. Whitaker said Williams is allowed to return to the Atlanta area for weddings, funerals and graduation ceremonies, but must leave within 48 hours of those events ending.

He is required to return to the area four times a year during each year of his probation to give an anti-gang and anti-gun presentation, the judge said.

According to Whitaker, Williams must also perform 100 hours of community service in each of his probation years and must not knowingly have contact with members or associates of a criminal street gang.

If convicted on all charges, Williams would have faced a maximum prison sentence of 120 years.

The case had dragged on for months, including multiple motions for a mistrial, most recently last week. The jury selection process alone took over a year.

Three co-defendants in the YSL racketeering trial accepted plea agreements from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office this week.

Rodalius Ryan, known as “Lil Rod,” and co-defendant Marquavious Huey, known as “Qua,” pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating the state's RICO law.

As part of the conditions, Ryan accepted a 10-year prison sentence, which was commuted to time served. Other counts of the charge, including armed robbery, were dropped as part of the agreement.

Ryan is currently serving a life sentence for a separate murder case. The prison terms will run concurrently, Whitaker said.

As part of his plea deal, Huey admitted to several guilty charges, including armed robbery. As part of the agreement, he was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison, including nine years in custody, nine years suspended and five years on probation.

Quamarvious Nichols, also known as “Qua,” accepted a plea deal Tuesday on Count 1, conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. He received a negotiated sentence of 20 years, including seven years in custody and the remaining years on probation. In return, several charges, including murder, were dismissed.

None of the three people who pleaded guilty are required to testify against the remaining co-defendants, including the case's main target, Young Thug.

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(The CNN Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)