Rapper Young Thug accepts surprising plea deal in Georgia’s longest-ever criminal trial

Rapper Young Thug accepted a plea deal for drug- and gang-related charges, ending Georgia’s longest-ever criminal trial.

The Grammy winner — born Jeffery Lamar Williams — pleaded guilty to three drug charges, two gun charges and one gang charge in Atlanta on Thursday, NBC News reported. He also plead no contest to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge.

As part of the non-negotiated plea agreement, the musician, 33, will be released from custody after more than two years behind bars and have to serve 15 years of probation.

He is also required to complete 100 hours of community service each year.

Rapper Young Thug, pictured in July, accepted a plea deal on Thursday. AP The Grammy winner, pictured in December 2022, pleaded guilty to three drug charges, two gun charges and one gang charge. AP

Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker also ordered Young Thug to stay away from the Atlanta metropolitan area for the first 10 years of his probation.

He is only allowed to return for major life events, such funerals, weddings or graduations, and must leave within 48 hours afterward.

Furthermore, the “Trance” rapper is required to travel to Atlanta four times per year while on probation to host an anti-gang and anti-gun presentation.

Young Thug, who was facing a maximum of 120 years in prison if convicted on all charges, must also not knowingly have contact with members or associates of any criminal street gang.

He will be released from custody after two years and have to serve 15 years on probation. Getty Images Young Thug’s trial has been ongoing since November 2023. AP

The “Go Crazy” rapper was arrested in May 2022 and indicted on racketeering charges for allegedly being the ringleader of the infamous street gang, Young Slime Life, known as YSL.

The Atlanta-based artist’s record label, founded in 2016, is named Young Stoner Life, which prosecutors argued was a connection to the Young Slime Life gang.

Young Thug has denied being the head of the gang, per CNN.

He was arrested in May 2022. Fulton County Sheriff's Office Prosecutors accused the hitmaker of being the leader of the Young Slime Life gang. Getty Images

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

Young Thug’s trial began in November 2023 and had already seen 24 out of the 27 co-defendants take plea deals.

In July, the trial was briefly stopped when Judge Ural Glanvill stepped down after the defense accused him of misconduct.

He denied the claims. AFP via Getty Images Young Thug will be taken back to jail if he violates his probation. AFP via Getty Images

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

In 2019, he won his first-ever Grammy for song of the year as a songwriter on Childish Gambino’s track “This Is America.”

He has also earned five additional Grammy nominations, and three of his albums have reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts.