Rapper Young Thug Accepts Surprising Plea in Georgia's Longest Criminal Trial Ever

Rapper Young Thug accepted a plea deal on drug and gang charges, ending the longest criminal trial ever in Georgia.

The Grammy winner – born Jeffery Lamar Williams – pleaded guilty to three drug charges, two weapons charges and one gang-related charge in Atlanta on Thursday, NBC News reported. He also pleaded no contest to additional charges of gang violence and racketeering conspiracy.

As part of the non-negotiated plea agreement, the 33-year-old musician will be released from prison after more than two years in prison and must serve 15 years of probation.

He must also complete 100 hours of community service each year.

Supreme Court Justice Paige Whitaker also ordered that Young Thug stay away from the Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation.

He is only allowed to return for important life events such as funerals, weddings or graduations and must leave the country within 48 hours afterwards.

Additionally, the “Trance” rapper will be required to travel to Atlanta four times a year during his probation to host an anti-gang and anti-gun presentation.

Young Thug, who faced a maximum of 120 years in prison if convicted on all charges, is also barred from knowingly having contact with members or associates of a criminal street gang.

The “Go Crazy” rapper was arrested in May 2022 and charged with racketeering for allegedly being the leader of the notorious Young Slime Life street gang, known as YSL.

The Atlanta-based artist's record label, founded in 2016, is called Young Stoner Life, which prosecutors believe is a connection to the Young Slime Life gang.

Young Thug has denied being the leader of the gang, according to CNN.

The “Pick Up the Phone” hitmaker and his co-defendants were accused of engaging in armed robbery, murder, carjacking, drug trafficking and other violent crimes.

Young Thug's trial began in November 2023 and had already resulted in 24 of the 27 co-defendants entering plea agreements.

The trial was briefly halted in July when Judge Ural Glanvill resigned after the defense accused him of misconduct.

According to People, Young Thug rose to fame in 2013 after signing with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records.

In 2019, he won his first Grammy for Song of the Year as a songwriter for Childish Gambino's track “This Is America.”

He also received five additional Grammy nominations and three of his albums reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.