Young Thug’s YSL Racketeering Trial: What’s Going On and Will It Ever End?
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The sprawling — and seemingly endless — racketeering conspiracy trial centered on Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug is now the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s state history. It started with jury selection in January 2023 and finally reached opening statements in an Atlanta courtroom last November.
Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, is accused of co-founding and overseeing a gang called “Young Slime Life” that allegedly terrorized Fulton County with drug sales, armed robberies, shootings, and at least three murders. Williams vehemently denies the charges, but has been in jail since his May 2022 arrest. His lawyer, Brian Steel, has called his indictment “unconscionable and unconstitutional.” On Thursday, June 13, Steel called the high-profile prosecution an authoritarian absurdity after being held in contempt for similar complaints earlier in the week.
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“This is crazy. This is like communist Russia. Mr. Williams is having the worst trial,” Steel told Judge Ural Glanville. He alleged prosecutors were “intimidating” a key witness in the case. Prosecutors denied the claim. Judge Glanville said he didn’t see it either. The ongoing trial, now in its 18th month, then resumed with Williams fighting for his freedom alongside five co-defendants, including fellow rap artist Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick.
“We have been in trial in this case since January of 2023. My client, Mr. Kendrick, and other defendants have been incarcerated in Rice Street, one of the worst jails in the country, for more than two years. Now, we’re approximately seven months into hearing evidence in front of a jury, and the state has yet to get through half of their witness list,” Kendrick’s lawyer Doug Weinstein tells Rolling Stone. “While I highly respect Judge Glanville and his contributions to the community though his decades on the bench and his longstanding service to our country in the military, I believe that he has allowed this case to go off the rails.”
Here’s what you need to know about the proceeding that keeps breaking into the national news cycle with its chaos and complexity.
Who is Young Thug?
Williams, 32, is one of the most influential hip-hop artists to rise to mainstream fame over the last decade. Raised in Atlanta as the tenth of 11 children, he’s known for his acrobatic voice, flamboyant fashions, and innovative rapping on releases like 2014’s Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 (with Rich Homie Quan), 2015’s Barter 6, 2016’s Jeffery, and many more. He’s collaborated with many of the biggest artists in pop and hip-hop, starred on a digital cover of Rolling Stone, and won a Grammy for Song of the Year for his contributions to Childish Gambino’s 2018 single “This is America.” His record label, Young Stoner Life, topped the Billboard 200 with its Slime Language 2 compilation, where Williams led a group of artists including Gunna, Drake, Travis Scott, and Lil Baby.
What charges are Young Thug and his five co-defendants facing?
Fulton County prosecutors claim Williams is the head of a Bloods-affiliated gang called Young Slime Life (YSL) that formed in 2012 and consolidated power in south Atlanta though alleged crimes including armed robberies, carjackings, illegal narcotic sales, shootings, and at least three homicides. An initial indictment in May 2022 charged Williams and his co-defendants with racketeering conspiracy and participation in criminal street gang activity. An August 2022 re-indictment, filed after a search of Williams’ residence, charged him with six more counts including possession of a machine gun. In total, the indictment lists 65 charges involving 28 defendants and 191 “overt acts” ranging from alleged violence to song lyrics. Williams is being tried alongside Deamonte Kendrick, Rodalius Ryan, Marquavius Huey, Shannon Stillwell, and Quamarvious Nichols. Nine other defendants previously reached plea deals with prosecutors. A dozen more had their cases severed into separate proceedings. One defendant, Cordarius Dorsey, had his charges dropped after he was convicted of murder in a different case and sentenced to life without parole.
The homicides in the indictment are characterized as “overt acts” furthering the purported conspiracy because the victims allegedly belonged to rival gangs. Kendrick and Stillwell are specifically charged with the murder of Donovan “Nut” Thomas Jr. in 2015. Stillwell is further charged with the 2022 murder of Shymel Drinks. Ryan previously was convicted in the 2019 murder of 15-year-old Jamari Holmes, so Holmes’ murder is listed only as an overt act, not charged as a separate count in the indictment.
How many witnesses have been called so far, and how much longer could this trial last?
At least 75 witnesses have been called to testify already, according to daily live streams of the proceeding by Law & Crime. It’s a high number for any trial, but not even half of the names on prosecutors’ whittled-down list. Initially the state said it had 737 potential witnesses. The astronomical number was later slashed to closer to 400 and now hovers around 200. In a motion for a mistrial filed June 17, Steel wrote that the trial “is expected to last, at least, through the end of the 2024 calendar year.” Only one of the three homicides in the indictment (Donovan Thomas Jr.) has been the subject of dedicated witness testimony so far.
How did each side frame the case in opening statements?
In her opening address to jurors last November, Fulton County Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love said YSL was a criminal street gang led by Williams. “For 10 years and counting, the group calling itself Young Slime Life dominated, dominated the Cleveland Avenue community of Fulton County,” she told jurors, alleging YSL created a “crater” that “sucked in the youth, the innocence, and even the lives of some of its youngest members.” Love said Williams was known as “King Slime” and that Thomas’ murder on January 10, 2015 was carried out for YSL’s benefit, leading to “no less than 50 shootings over the next few months.” She recited rap lyrics attributed to Williams, claiming they referenced real events, something that Williams’ lawyers deny. (Judge Glanville previously ruled lyrics could be used as evidence.) “We didn’t chase the lyrics to solve the murders. We chased the murders, the evidence will show, and in the process, we found the lyrics,” Love said.
For his part, Steel said Williams was “born into an environment, a community, a society that was filled with depression, despair, hopelessness, and helplessness.” He said his client was raised in public housing, sharing a small bedroom with four brothers while six sisters shared a separate room. “Severe poverty,” crime, and the shooting death of his 20-year-old brother left Williams with an “embedded” distrust of police and the justice system, Steel said. The high-profile lawyer hailed Williams for surmounting the “generational” harms of institutional racism and becoming a world-renowned artist. “He worked so hard. He outworked everyone,” Steel said, adding that Williams’ “Thug” moniker is an acronym for Truly Humbled Under God. “He’s not running this criminal street gang,” Steel said. “He is not sitting there telling people to kill people. He doesn’t need their money. Jeffery is worth tens of millions of dollars.” The defense lawyer added that Williams “doesn’t even know most of the people in this indictment.”
Who are some notable witnesses so far?
Walter “DK” Murphy: A childhood friend of Williams and alleged co-founder of YSL, Murphy testified for several days in mid-April. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act and was sentenced to time served plus nine years of probation. His deal required him to testify truthfully. On the stand, Murphy was evasive. “I don’t recall,” he said, over and over, at one point claiming he played the part of a Bloods gang member but wasn’t. “I wasn’t like a real Blood, so I was afraid of going to jail because of that,” he said under oath. Prosecutors grilled him over an April 2015 shooting at an Atlanta Citgo gas station. Victim Dexter Montgomery was shot in the head but survived. Prosecutors showed surveillance images of Murphy with an assault rifle at the Citgo. Murphy confirmed he pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting. Under cross-examination by Steel, Murphy said he understood he could go back to prison if he lied on the stand. “Did Jeffery (Williams) ever ask you or instruct you to commit a crime?” Steel asked on April 15. “No,” Murphy responded. Murphy then said it was his understanding that he had to “stop committing crime” to continue hanging out with Williams.
Trontavious “Tick” Stephens: Another alleged co-founder of YSL, Stephens reached a deal that required his truthful testimony in exchange for time served and eight years of probation. In his plea statement, he accepted prosecutors’ claim that Williams urged him and other YSL members in a group chat to target an unidentified individual: “Y’all ain’t beat em up or shot em yet… [you’re] getting soft.” Under direct examination by Love, Stephens told jurors he co-founded YSL with Williams and Murphy. Asked to explain the “distinction” between YSL the record label and “the gang Young Slime Life,” Stephens told jurors that “the label that Jeffery Williams created was based on positivity, and the gang was negative.” He continued, “I committed crimes while being a part of YSL, so, by me committing crimes while being a part of YSL, that was the basis to say that YSL was a gang.” Under cross-examination by Steel, Stephens told jurors that Williams offered him jobs to get him off the streets. Stephens testified that he wanted “instant money,” so he committed crimes instead. “He encouraged me to stop selling drugs,” Stephens said of Williams.
Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland: Trial watchers expected Copeland, an aspiring rapper known as Lil Woody, to be a major witness for prosecutors. Instead, he led to widespread calls for a mistrial. On Friday, June 7, the YSL associate was taken into custody after he refused to answer a question and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Judge Glanville said Copeland had signed an immunity agreement that required his testimony, so Copeland spent the weekend in jail. The following Monday, Copeland was part of a private — now highly controversial — meeting with Judge Glanville and prosecutors before he returned to the stand (more on that later). When his testimony resumed, it was numbingly evasive. He sat with his arms crossed, yawned repeatedly, rolled his eyes and rocked back and forth in his chair. Over several days, he was questioned about the January 2015 drive-by shooting of Donovan “Nut” Thomas Jr. Prosecutors say Williams rented the silver Infiniti Q50 sedan used in the deadly shooting and that Williams loaned the vehicle to Copeland around the same time and later paid for Copeland to “lay low” in Miami. Asked who paid for his Miami hotel, Copeland testified, “I guess Young Thug did, I don’t know.” Copeland said he saw Williams in Miami after the shooting and asked him for help because “everybody” was blaming Copeland for Thomas’ death. According to prosecutors, Thomas was aligned with Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, a purported rival of Williams. At one point during his testimony on June 13, Copeland said he was answering “yes” robotically to every query from prosecutors in an effort to speed up his questioning. He claimed he wasn’t truthful in prior interviews. “I was saying whatever they wanted me to say,” he testified.
At another point, without the jury present, Steel told Judge Glanville that he was disturbed to see Copeland “surrounded” by prosecutors and law enforcement during breaks. Steel said he was worried it amounted to “coercion.” That’s when he compared the treatment to “communist Russia.” The judge replied, “Intimidation?…I don’t see that.” A few days later, on June 17, Steel filed a motion to disqualify Judge Glanville for alleged “unethical” behavior related to the secret meeting. “The trial judge in this case participated in ex parte communications with the prosecutor in which he assisted the state to influence a witness to testify against Mr. Williams,” Steel wrote in the motion that also called for a mistrial. “The court and the prosecutors should not be working together, but they are, teaming up to gain an unlawful advantage over Mr. Williams.” Judge Glanville denied the motion but agreed to release a transcript of the meeting to the defense.
What happened with Brian Steel’s contempt charge?
A wild scene played out on the trial livestream on Monday, June 10, as Steel removed his jacket and tie and was taken into custody for alleged contempt. Steel had just confronted Judge Glanville for the first time over his meeting in his private chambers with prosecutors and Copeland that excluded the defense. Steel said the defense had a constitutional right to attend the meeting, considering Copeland had been sworn in as a witness before he spent the weekend in jail on his own contempt charge. Steel told the court he was worried Copeland was threatened with more jail time during the meeting. Judge Glanville was more concerned with how Steel found out about the secret meeting. Steel refused to give up his source. On his way out of the courtroom in custody, he asked for a mistrial. “Mr. Williams does not wish to go forward without me being here. You are removing me against his will and my will. You’re taking away his right to counsel, and you’re conducting material parts of this trial without me present,” he said. Judge Glanville denied the motion and ordered Steel to spend 10 weekends in jail as punishment. Steel asked to spend the time bunking with Williams so they could work on his case. Georgia’s Supreme Court later granted Steel bond, so the maximum 20-day jail sentence was put on hold pending the outcome of his appeal.
“Brian was placed in the difficult position of choosing between his duty and loyalty to his client and sanctions including potential disbarment. He was told, if you stay quiet and honor the duty to your client, the court is going to lock you up,” Alex Susor, one of Steel’s colleagues who jumped to his defense as co-chair of a “strike force” with the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, tells Rolling Stone. “Brian found out about [the meeting], and it concerned him greatly. …If Mr. Williams is convicted, and the conviction is based on evidence that has been withheld, it calls into question whether the trial was fair and whether a conviction should stand.” After Steel first raised the issue of the ex parte meeting, he and other defense lawyers in the case repeatedly asked Judge Glanville for the transcript of the secret meeting. They argued any “inconsistent statements” made by Copeland in the judge’s chambers could be used as valuable exculpatory evidence during his cross-examination. Judge Glanville eventually agreed to share the transcript.
What have been some other notable moments in the trial?
This chaotic, bizarre trial centers on very serious allegations, with the fates of six men hanging in the balance. It’s become a social media spectacle due to Williams’ fame and the vast quantities of video available from the proceedings. Small moments or details have blown up and overshadowed hours of testimony, such as when Williams made headlines for wearing a wolf-emblazoned Armani sweater to court one day after Love described him as the leader of a wolf “pack” in her opening statement. “For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack,” she said, quoting Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Williams’ fashion choices again took center stage during Stephens’ testimony, when Steel asked him about a photo showing Williams posing in a blue sweater for GQ magazine. The choice was notable, Steel suggested, because real members of the Bloods street gang are known to avoid blue, the color of their rival gang, the Crips.
The forever trial also has been plagued by lengthy delays, one related to an Internet outage and another caused by the December jail stabbing of Shannon Stillwell. Issues with pay for the public defender representing Rodalius Ryan have been another recurring theme. She told WSB-TV she was considering starting an OnlyFans account as a side hustle to make ends meet. She reportedly was set to make only $15,000 for her work on the entire trial. That was later raised to a capped fee of $55,000 and then modified again to $5,000 for every month of trial.
Back in November, the courtroom livestream inadvertently filmed a few members of the jury, leading to concerns about their personal safety. The possible privacy breach happened the same day as a lighter exchange in which Judge Glanville introduced jurors to his Labrador retriever service dog, Jack. Glanville, an Army veteran, told the jury Jack is “spoiled rotten,” so there was no need to bring him any treats.
What’s up with fellow YSL artist Gunna?
In December 2022, Gunna, born Sergio Kitchens, pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy in the case and was immediately released. He was given a one-year sentence that was commuted to time served, a five-year suspended sentence, and 500 hours of community service. Footage of his Alford Plea hearing went viral, and some were outraged to hear him affirm the prosecution’s claim that YSL is a criminal organization. Still, a source close to Kitchens told Rolling Stone that the rapper won’t be testifying during the trial — which is the only way those comments could be used in court against his co-defendants. Gunna has since resumed his successful career, releasing A Gift & a Curse (featuring the hit single “Fukumean”) in 2023 and One of Wun earlier this year. On June 11, Williams’ dad, Jeffery Williams Sr., attended Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour stop at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. According to Billboard, the elder Williams was seen in the VIP section enjoying a performance of “Ski” from the YSL compilation album Slime Language 2.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, Deamonte Kendrick’s defense lawyer Doug Weinstein says the trial already has been “so riddled with errors,” it should be declared a mistrial at this point. Prosecutors did not respond to a request for comment from Rolling Stone, nor did Steel.
“Because I respect Judge Glanville, I have given every benefit of the doubt to his rulings from the bench,” Weinstein adds. “After what we and the defense learned took place Monday morning (June 10) with the ex parte meeting held between the state, the prosecution and a sworn witness, the blinders have fallen from my eyes. We will continue to pursue whatever remedies are available to us.“
On Thursday, Weinstein and his co-counsel filed an emergency petition asking Georgia’s Supreme Court to force Judge Glanville to recuse himself and let an “unbiased judge” decide whether he should step down from the case. They wrote that “troubling facts” about the secret meeting on June 10 “implicate” Glanville in an “effort to join forces” with prosecutors to get Copeland back on the witness stand under threat of more jail time.
“The only logical conclusion for the secret nature of the proceeding was to give Glanville in conjunction with the State the unfettered ability to harass and intimidate the sworn witness into testifying,” the lawyers argue in the pending motion.
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