Over three years ago, Young Thug, Gunna, and other YSL collective affiliates received an Atlanta indictment on gang charges and went to prison. But as of Monday (June 9), the sprawling, controversial, and grueling court process has finally come to a close.
Per a Billboard report, this is because the last codefendant in this case, Christian Eppinger, has entered an Alford plea. The Fulton County court wanted to start a trial for him on Monday, June 9 on accusations of attempted murder for allegedly firing a gun at an Atlanta police officer in 2022.
Instead, the plea deal means that Eppinger is maintaining his innocence while accepting the consequences of a guilty plea. The court reportedly sentenced him to 40 years in prison after this Alford plea entry.
With that, all 28 codefendants in the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial have all wrapped up that legal situation. Prosecutors accused the collective of alleged violent gang activity in Atlanta over the course of multiple years. Thugger left jail around Halloween last year in October following the judge's probation sentence.
Young Thug YSL Trial
Fulton County's District Attorney, Fani Willis, faced a lot of backlash for a lack of murder convictions in this case despite their staunch legal pursuit. But at the end of the day, she doesn't regret how Young Thug and YSL's RICO trial developed.
"My message to taxpayers is: it was an amazing outcome," Willis reportedly told Atlanta's 11 Alive. "We had 19 convictions, and the community is safer. And go look at the statistics. Crime is down. So, what do I say to taxpayers? I say, my constituents – who just re-elected me with 68 percent of the vote – say I'm doing an amazing job. We are making sure this community is safe. Crime here is lower than in most places in the United States. I think we're like number three, and it's because of the efforts I’ve led against gangs."
"I'm going to continue to rely on it because it works, it's effective, and it tells jurors the full story," she added about RICO statutes and anti-racketeering laws. "We made sure that we got the resolutions that we [wanted]. If they’re unhappy with sentencing, they should elect other judges," Willis remarked concerning Young Thug and YSL's fate.
