Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug, legally known as Jeffery Williams, has been granted release from jail after reaching a plea deal against his longtime racketeering case. Announced Thursday, the deal grants Williams 15 years of probation, way less than the sentence recommendation Georgia prosecutors originally suggested at 45 years with 25 to be served in prison.
Williams pleaded guilty to various drug and gun charges; he accepted a no-contest plea to racketeering conspiracy and gang charges. Now, he has to stay out of metro Atlanta for 10 years, serve 100 hours of community service annually, and speak to kids four times a year about the dangers of gang involvement.
The case, the longest-running criminal trial in Georgia, connected Williams’ label, Young Stoner Life, with alleged gang activity within Young Slime Life. While the decision ends his jail time, Williams now faces a strict probation period, with a closely watched path forward.