The YSL RICO case — which has been underway since January, with court selection taking up most of the three months since — took yet another dramatic turn this week, as Atlanta local news reports one of the attorneys for the defense was arrested for battery and bringing contraband to court this morning.
Anastasios Manettas was handcuffed and charged with one count of simple battery against a law enforcement officer, one count of obstruction, and two counts of pills not in their original container after being caught allegedly bringing the prescription pills to the Fulton County courthouse and throwing his phone at a deputy. Manettas is the defense attorney for Young Thug co-defendant Miles Fairley.
He wasn’t the first person to be caught allegedly smuggling contraband into the courthouse. In January, co-defendant Yak Gotti’s mother was arrested and charged with a criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor after trying to pass the rapper a bag reportedly filled with tobacco and rolling papers.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, another defendant, Rodaluis “Lil Rod” Ryan, was led out of the courtroom after being suspected of having marijuana in his possession but made a commotion loud enough to be heard in the courtroom, prompting the courtroom to be cleared.
In three months, not a single juror has been selected, although some potential jurors have been censured for not taking the process seriously. One of the defendants, Jayden Myrick, aka SetTrip, filed a motion in February to have the case declared a mistrial due to discovery material being made public and potentially biasing any jurors against him.
The entire case, of course, hinges on the state’s belief that YSL Records is not just a record label, but a criminal organization.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.