Rapper Young Thug, others accused of violating state RICO Act. What that means
Atlanta rapper Young Thug faces several charges after he was named in a sweeping indictment accusing him and several others of gang-related crimes and conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as the RICO statute.
Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, was arrested Monday, May 9, and is among at least 27 others hit with RICO charges brought by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, multiple news outlets reported.
In the 88-page indictment, prosecutors accuse Williams, Sergio Kitchens aka “Gunna” and others associated with the alleged Young Slime Life gang of conspiring to preserve their power and reputation “through ... racketeering activity including murder assault and threats of violence” beginning as early as 2012 and continuing through 2020, according to a copy of the filing obtained by WSB-TV.
McClatchy News reached out to the Fulton County District Attorneys Office on May 11 and was awaiting a response.
“We are proud to being forth this indictment, and hopefully to bring justice to a lot of the community who was victimized through the course you see in this indictment,” District Attorney Fani Willis said at a news conference. “But more importantly, the most important thing we are here to do is to keep this community safe.”
Williams’ lawyer, Brian Steel, has decried the charges, saying his client hasn’t committed a crime.
“I’ll fight till my last drop of blood to clear him,” Steel said, according to WAGA.
What’s the RICO Act?
The federal RICO Act, passed in 1970, is typically used to target organized crime in the U.S. and provides “enhanced sanctions and new remedies” to combat illegal activity, according to an article published in the Labor Law Journal.
“The power of RICO lies in its conspiracy provision,” the authors wrote, “based on an enterprise rationale, that allows tying together apparently unrelated crimes with a common objective into a prosecutable pattern of racketeering.”
The sweeping statute has been used to take down the Mafia and “some of the highest-profile organized-crime families” by linking crime bosses to the crimes committed by their subordinates over several years, The Wall Street Journal reported. Under the law, prosecutors can “stitch together crimes ... from extortion and loan sharking to murder” to argue that the group was operating as a single enterprise.
Georgia’s RICO law, under which Williams is charged, is similar in that it criminalizes anyone accused of participating in an “interrelated pattern” of racketeering and criminal activity, according to the law office of criminal trial attorney Page Pate.
However, prosecutors also must prove that a defendant committed at least two predicate crimes, such as a burglary or homicide, that were “committed as part of an enterprise engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity,” Pate’s website states.
The accused must also be shown to work for or be associated with a group through a pattern of racketeering.
What’s the penalty?
In Georgia, a conviction under the state RICO statute carries a sentence of five to 20 years in prison, according to Pate’s website. There may also be a hefty fine and civil forfeitures.
Under the law, a judge is allowed to fine the defendant up to three times the amount they pocketed during their alleged crimes, the attorney said.
Williams remained in the Fulton County Jail without bond as of Wednesday, May 11, online records show. He faces additional charges including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.
Kitchens, aka Gunna, was also booked on racketeering charges after turning himself in to authorities on Wednesday, according to jail records.
This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 3:10 PM.