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Why have Young Thug and Gunna been indicted? Rappers part of 'criminal street gang' YSL

YSL-related songs, videos, social media posts, and lyrics have been described as “an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy" in the indictment

FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: Rappers Young Thug and Gunna are among 28 people associated with YSL who were charged in a 56-count indictment on Monday, May 9. Born Jeffery Lamar Williams, Young Thug was taken into custody and is being held at Fulton County Jail. He was arrested after the home he was staying at was raided. Jail records show that the 'Punk' artist has been charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and participation in criminal street gang activity.

The conspiracy charge is related to an alleged incident that occurred on January 24. The gang charge, on the other hand, is connected to an alleged offense from May 12, 2018. Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, has reportedly been charged with one count of conspiring to violate RICO. Yak Gotti, PeeWee Roscoe, and Thug’s brother Unfoonk were also indicted. The indictment reportedly says that YSL is a “criminal street gang” founded in 2012 with an affiliation with the Bloods.

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All 28 defendants were charged with conspiracy to violate RICO. Thug and Gunna’s fellow defendants also face charges including armed robbery, aggravated assault, drugs, and weapons charges. Additionally, Yak Gotti and four others were charged with murder for the January 2015 death of Donovan Thomas, Jr., who was “a rival gang member", as per prosecutors. Thug has also been accused of renting a car that was later used “in the commission of” the same murder.

A long section of the indictment, named “acts in furtherance of the conspiracy", details incidents between 2013 and 2022, such as examples of crimes committed, including PeeWee Roscoe’s felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon back in 2015. 

A number of acts under the heading are YSL-related songs, videos, social media posts, and lyrics that have been described as “an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy" -- including the Young Thug and Juice WRLD collaboration 'Bad Boy'. 

An excerpt that cites Young Thug's song 'Just How It Is' as an example says, "Defendant JEFFERY WILLIAMS, an associate of YSL, posted a video titled “Just How It Is,” with lyrics stating “I escaped every one of the licks cause I was supposed to be rich, I don’t care nothing bout no cop, I’m tellin you just how it is,” “Hit em with the MAC now, now his whole body scabbed,” “I done for the crew, I done did the robbin, I done did the jackin, now I’m full rappin,” “last nigga tried me almost got popped in Lenox, ask the cops, ask the detectives, they know all the business, ask the cops and the detectives, all the jurisdictions,” “gave the lawyer close to two mil, he handles all the killings,” “we don’t speak bout shit on wax, it’s all mob business, we know to kill the biggest cats of all kittens,” an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy."

The indictment has also accused Thug of wearing chains that read “YSL” and “Slatt” in the video for his Lil Keed collaboration 'Fox 5'. According to prosecutors, his outfit in the video and the sentence “we got ten-hundred round choppers” amount to “an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.” 

Conspiracy to commit murder is one of the charges in the indictment, where it is claimed that Christian Eppinger (listed in the indictment as “Bhris”) and Antonio Sumlin (“Obama”) discussed their desire to “obtain the permission” of Thug to make an attempt to kill YFN Lucci. “I’ll tell you the response to any allegation is Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him,” Thug’s attorney Brian Steel told WSB-TV.