The Young Thug and YSL RICO trial has been chaotic, to say the absolute least. From switching out judges to catching drug transactions in court, the transcript of events since the trial officially started in November 2023 is longer than a college student’s required reading list. However, a Halloween miracle led to Young Thug being released after changing his plea to guilty and taking a non-negotiated plea.
YSL Trial Takes a Turn
The presiding judge over the case, Paige Reese Whitaker, was considering a motion for a mistrial while “attorneys for multiple defendants in the high-profile YSL RICO trial are negotiating plea deals with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.”
Calls for a mistrial stemmed from a witness on October 23 unintentionally reading the hashtag “#freequa” out loud, which implicated one of the YSL co-defendants on trial along with Thug. The defense “argued prosecutors should have redacted that image and that the jury has now learned about the co-defendant’s previous incarceration.” If Judge Whitaker had granted the mistrial, she stated that it would be without prejudice, which would have allowed the state to retry the case.
“I do not believe they are purposefully trying to insert error to this trial,” said Judge Whitaker, explaining her “without prejudice” position while also scolding prosecutors for not shortening their “ginormous universe of evidence” to avoid missteps.
Co-defendants began taking plea deals
While whispers of plea deals began, reporters and the public were barred from the courtroom on October 28.
The official decision on the mistrial and proposed plea deals was expected on Oct 29th. Still, as of that afternoon, only one defendant, Quamarvious Nichols (also known as Qua), had entered a negotiated guilty plea deal. He’ll serve a recommended sentence of 7 years on his RICO charge, with the rest of his charges dismissed.
On October 30th, two more co-defendants took plea deals as well. Rodalius Ryan (also known as Lil Rod) is already serving time for a murder he was convicted of at 15. He pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act, and his 10-year sentence for the RICO charge will be commuted to time already served. He will be appealing his murder conviction with the Georgia Supreme Court.
Marquavius Huey, (also known as Qua), had some of his original 19 charges including violating the RICO act dropped or reduced. The judge sentenced him to 25 years, but he will only serve nine years in prison.
Young Thug is a (kind of) free man
The plea deal almost didn’t happen, with Judge Whitaker asking if Young Thug agreed to a non-negotiated plea (the prosecutors and defense couldn’t agree on a sentencing resolution, so it became up to the judge).
The state’s recommended sentence was 45 years (25 years in custody and then 20 years of probation). After a brief recess, though, Thug pled guilty to the gun and drug-related charges and no contest to the conspiracy and street gang participation charges.
Whitaker sentenced Thug to 40 years, including five years in prison, but she commuted it to time served. He must complete 15 years of probation, which can turn into 20 years in custody if he breaks it.
He has multiple other conditions on his release, including being banned from Metro Atlanta (other than events like funerals and weddings) and being required to do four concerts/presentations per year against gang violence.
He also cannot have any contact with the other co-defendants of the YSL trial — other than his brother and Gunna (whose snitch allegations did not age well).
Before his sentencing in Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial, Thug was able to address the court.
“I know what I bring to the table and I know what I am … I know the heights I’ve reached and I know the impact I’ve got on people in the community,” he said.
Everyone from Young Thug’s girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, to his ride-or-die fanbase is elated knowing that Thug’s confinement is over and there’s a newfound purpose for his “first day out” track.
