RICO case

Gunna Makes First Post Since Jail Release, Shouts Out Young Thug

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Following his release from Georgia’s Fulton County Jail last month, Gunna has taken to his social media to break his silence. 

Sharing a photo of himself sitting on a couch, the “pushin P” rapper penned on Instagram Tuesday night, “N****s acting like they switching to a side But it’s only one side.”

Seemingly sending a shoutout to Young Thug and Yak Gotti, who are both allegedly affiliated with YSL, Gunna also wrote, “#YslTheLabel #FreeThug&Yak GUNNA BACK!!!!!”

As HotNewHipHop previously reported, Gunna became a free man in December after entering an Alford plea and spending seven months behind bars.

Clarifying things in a statement, the rapper shared last month, “When I became affiliated with YSL in 2016, I did not consider it a ‘gang’; more like a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations.”

READ MORE: Young Thug Associates Offered Deals To Boost D.A.’s Case: Report

“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” he also revealed at the time.

YSL, also known as Young Stoner Life, is currently in the middle of a high-profile RICO case. With Young Thug still in jail, the trial’s jury selection began this past Monday (January 9).  

Appearing in court over the past several weeks, Thugger’s past song lyrics have recently come into question, sparking an online discussion. A judge recently went viral after reading out lines from his 2016 song “Slime Sh*t.”

Check back in with HNHH for updates on the ongoing trial and share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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YSL Case: Juror Reportedly Skipped Court For Dominican Republic Trip

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As if this case couldn’t take another twist, a juror in the YSL trial involving Young Thug has come under fire. Jury selection has been an arduous process, as a reported 600 potential jurors have been questioned. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Jozsef Papp has kept the public updated on the selection, and on Twitter, he shared an eyebrow-raising update about Juror #64.

According to Papp, much of today’s hearing in the YSL case focused on potential jurors hardships. Some were pardoned due to work or personal reasons, but others were pushed forward in the selection process.

Read More: YSL Trial: Potential Juror Tried To Contact Young Thug’s Attorney’s Law Firm

The second panel of 200 jurors was looked into, including a Paralympics athlete training for 2024. That person was reportedly excused from duty. Further, an APS teacher was denied, reported Papp, after stating she suffered from neck and back problems.

However, the more startling report was about Juror #64, who didn’t show up to the hearing at all.

“We are getting update on juror #64, who did report the first day last week but didn’t report yesterday,” Papp tweeted. “After deputies went to her address, she wasn’t there. Her grandmother told deputies she wasn’t there.”

Read More: Young Thug, YSL RICO Case Could Last 6 To 9 Months: Report

“Deputies were able to get in contact with her,” he continued. “And she told them she was in the Dominican Republic and won’t return until tomorrow night.”

“Judge Glanville said she wants her taken to jail or to his courtroom, if court is still in session, upon her return to Atlanta.”

Meanwhile, as the jurors were questioned, reports state the judge advised them that the YSL case could take six to nine months. Additionally, eight of Young Thug’s co-defendants, including Gunna, have already taken plea deals.

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Young Thug, YSL RICO Case Could Last 6 To 9 Months: Report

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As one case ends, Young Thug and the RICO case against YSL is underway. We recently saw the dramatic conclusion of Tory Lanez’s shooting trial. As updates about his sentencing unfold on social media, jury selection for Young Thug’s case has taken over headlines. We’ve steadily reported on the plea deals eight of Young Thug’s associates have agreed to in recent months. Gunna was the most notable for taking a plea, admitting in court that YSL is a criminal street gang, and earning his freedom before the holidays.

Meanwhile, Thugger remains incarcerated as prosecutors have named him as the alleged leader of YSL. There have been reports stating Young Thug will not be offered a plea, and instead, investigators are targeting him specifically.

Read More: Young Thug’s Jury Selection Begins Today In RICO Trial

It’s reported that approximately 600 potential jurors have already been vetted, and the experience has been tiring. The questionnaire candidates filled out was shared online, as was information about the hardships they would face if called on.

As expected, many were immediately dismissed. The judge clarified that this trial could last between six to nine months, as there are 14 co-defendants.

Read More: Reese LAFLARE Reacts To News Outlet Using His Photo Instead Of Young Thug’s

Meanwhile, Gunna has been taking hits from the public—and a few of his peers—since his release. His attorney said the rapper wouldn’t be testifying against Thug, but that hasn’t quelled the criticism. Most recently, Tony Yayo also questioned Gunna’s first day out after the “Pushin P” rapper was filmed leaving jail and getting into a Maybach with a woman.

Despite the pushback, Gunna’s supporters have defended his choice. Also, heck out more from the courtroom in the YSL case above and Gunna returning to freedom below.

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Inside Of Young Thug’s Atlanta Mansion Shown In New Video

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Young’s Thug’s Atlanta mansion is officially on the market. Video of the Buckhead listing was featured on Watson Realty Co.’s Instagram page. Thug’s former pad  boasts  seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a movie theater, two living rooms and two wet bars. 

The new asking price for the swanky pad currently sits at $3.1 million. Footage from inside the home shows a luxury, indoor pool, a jacuzzi and lots of open space.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 25: Rapper Young Thug attends the game between Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on March 25, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Read More: Young Thug Receives More Charges As He & Gunna Await RICO Trial

While the multimillion dollar home is being sold, the 31-year old star is still behind bars awaiting trial . Atlanta police accused YSL of being a violent street gang, cofounded by Thug in the mid-2010s. His trial is set to begin on January 9, 2023. However, over a half-dozen of his 27 codefendants have already taken plea deals in the case. 

Gunna was released from Fulton County jail last month after striking a plea deal. Details of the plea have not been revealed. However, the Internet was in a frenzy filling the “Pushin P” rapper’s release. Brooklyn rapper Uncle Murda also dissed Gunna in his 2022 End of Year “Rap Up.”

Read More: Why Young Thug Is One Of The Greatest Of All Time

”Young Thug and Gunna got with the RICO, they using rap lyrics against them and that shit is illegal / They let Gunna go, we tryna figure out how that happened / He took a plea deal, Lil Boosie said that n-gga ratting / Gunna pushing pleas, Young Thug still stuck in jail / N-ggas saying Gunna knew names and ‘I’m gonna tell,” he rapped. 

Just days ahead of the highly publicized trial, Thug’s father urged his son to reject a plea deal if offered. “My son is not guilty of a lot of things that these people probably sayin’ about him,” Jeffrey Williams Sr. shared in an interview. 

“As a father, if they came to him with a plea deal and he left it up to me to give him the advice. I would tell him, ‘No.’” Check out HNHH for the latest hip hop updates. 

YFN Lucci Reportedly Named As Witness In Young Thug Case

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The tension between YFN Lucci and Young Thug was well documented on social media and in lyrics. The two Georgia rappers were, at a time, enjoying their freedom, but they both found themselves in trouble with the law. Lucci was arrested in connection to murder and racketeering charges, but while in jail, he was reportedly stabbed. Later, after Thugger was detained in the YSL RICO case, it was suggested that he was responsible.

As Young Thug continues denying culpability in the alleged crimes, others named in the RICO indictment are copping to plea deals. The seventh person to reportedly agree to a plea deal was named this week. After pleading guilty to a racketeering charge, Gunna enjoyed the holidays with his family.

Young Thug, YFN Lucci
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 25: Rapper Young Thug attends the game between Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on March 25, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Read More: Young Scooter: Young Thug “Gone Be Home Before Summer”

Meanwhile, it has been stated that the District Attorney isn’t necessarily targeting the two dozen alleged YSL associates. According to reports, the authorities have named Thug as the leader of YSL as a criminal organization.

There have been conversations regarding using his lyrics against him during the trial. This would, of course, include Young Thug and Juice WRLD’s collaboration, “Bad Boy.”

During a Summer hearing, a prosecutor alleged that, on the track, Thug rapped about shooting at Lucci’s mother. This was an incident that did take place.

Read More: Antonio Sledge, Young Thug’s Co-Defendant, Enters Guilty Plea

“[Thug] got into a beef, if you will, with another rapper by the name of Rayshawn Bennett, also known as YFN Lucci,” an attorney told the court back in June.

“At some point, Lucci’s mother was shot at and the song comes out, ‘Bad Boy,’ that says, uh, let’s see… ’You better watch the way you breathe around me ‘fore that breath be your last boy, Smith & Wesson .45 put a hole in his heart, better not play with me, killers stay with me, I shot at his mommy now he no longer mention me.’”

It is unclear if Lucci will testify against Young Thug, but he has reportedly been named as a witness. It is unclear what he will say if called to testify.

Antonio Sledge, Young Thug’s Co-Defendent, Enters Guilty Plea

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Antonio “Mounk Tounk” Sledge, a suspected YSL member and co-defendant of Young Thug, has reportedly plead guilty to multiple charges. Earlier this month, famed rapper Gunna was released from jail as Young Thug continues to sit behind bars.

According to Law & Crime, Sledge entered a guilty plea for “conspiracy to violate the racketeering act and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.” 

He will now give up his Fifth Amendment right to not speak on topics that could incriminate him. This also means that he has to testify truthfully “in any trial emerging from the indictment.” 

In exchange, prosecutors will then throw out his firearm charge. They will also “recommend he spend 15 years on probation for the racketeering charge.”

Commenting under DJ Akademik’s post about Sledge’s plea, Tekashi 69 offered his thoughts on the case. 

The “GUMMO” rapper wrote, “3rd slide is where ITS Very CLEAR that boy got probation in exchange for his testimony. Can’t even look into the camera. I would just keep scrolling but it’s funny how no one got the same energy for black rappers who openly on video cooperate with the law.”

Sledge is the latest alleged YSL member to enter a plea in the ongoing RICO case. Lil Duke took a plea deal earlier this month, while Gunna was released from prison following his Alford plea.

READ MORE: Young Thug’s Lawyer Speaks On Recent YSL Deals
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – NOVEMBER 17: Young Thug and Gunna perform at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Releasing a statement after returning home, the “Pushin P” rapper made it clear that he didn’t cooperate with authorities, stating, “While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”

With Young Thug still facing RICO charges, the Atlanta rapper is set to later stand trial next month. Check back in with HNHH for new updates on the case.

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Sauce Walka Showed Out On “Ghetto Gospel 3” Ahead Of His Gang’s RICO Arrest

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The words you speak truly do become the house you live in. A few days ago, Houston’s own Sauce Walka delivered his “Ghetto Gospel 3” track exclusively on YouTube. Throughout the nearly four-minute-long song, he raps a lot about the legal system – particularly about serving your sentence like a man.

“It’s a marathon, n*gga not a race / But trappers forget until it’s a life sentence in they face,” he rhymes on his first verse. “Take your forty years with grace / Don’t cooperate just face the actions of your fate / Unless you beat your case just be a made man and stay.”

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 16: Rapper Sauce Walka shoots The First Shot For Charity before the Phoenix Suns played the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2022 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

It was only days later that 14 associates of Walka’s were arrested by the FBI on RICO charges. Time will tell if they’re able to take the advice given in his lyrics and avoid snitching.

At this time, details regarding the investigation are sparse. We do know that some of the charges The Sauce Factory is facing include drug trafficking and unlawful firearm possession. However, what’s still unknown is if the 32-year-old himself is in any legal trouble.

“For every violent criminal that we take off the streets, that’s one less person being victimized,” Special Agent in charge James Smith said of the news.

This isn’t the only rapper RICO roundup making headlines right now. Last week, several YSL members were taking plea deals ahead of their January trial. Among them is Gunna, who Sauce was clowning on social media after the news broke.

Check out Sauce Walka’s “Ghetto Gospel 3” exclusively on YouTube below. Afterward, make sure to share your thoughts on the new track in the comments.

Quotable Lyrics:

It’s a marathon, n*gga not a race
But trappers forget until it’s a life sentence in they face
Take your forty years with grace
Don’t cooperate just face the actions of your fate
Unless you beat your case just be a made man and stay

Several Members Of Sauce Walka’s Crew Arrested On RICO Charges

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After recent updates on YSL’s RICO case have rocked this week, the FBI found another rap-related collective to behave criminally. Federal and local authorities arrested several members of Sauce Walka’s crew in Houston, Texas. Over 200 officials contributed to the apprehension and are on the case.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 16: Rapper Sauce Walka shoots The First Shot For Charity before the Phoenix Suns played the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2022 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Houston division announced the arrest and explained their intent.

“For every violent criminal that we take off the streets, that’s one less person being victimized,” said James Smith, Special Agent in charge of the FBI Houston division.

Authorities arrested 14 alleged gang members from The Sauce Factory just days after its 32-year-old figurehead clowned Gunna for his plea deal on social media. Moreover, Walka joked at the Atlanta rapper’s responses to questions about YSL. “Yes sir,” he jested, “can I go home now?” Also, he reposted his BET cypher over “pushin’ p,” and wrote “I feel sorry for Jeffery.”

As the YSL case has demonstrated, RICO charges and close affiliations can be very damaging to artists and people involved. While authorities didn’t give many specific details about the case, more information is bound to come soon. However, local news reporters did specify some of the charges law officials gave the accused. The TSF crew faces charges of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.

As of now, it’s unclear whether Sauce Walka himself had any involvement in the presented charges. Still, given that it’s a RICO case, it’s likely that law enforcement will investigate the entire collective. As for Gunna, he was seemingly able to avoid the brunt, but we don’t know if TSF members will have that luxury. In addition, many criticized Gunna’s plea deal, whether because of Gunna himself or the system he finds himself in. Maybe TSF will face a similar tough decision, but hopefully their case goes smoothly.

While this story is still developing, what do you think this means for Sauce Walka and The Sauce Factory? Will this be different to YSL’s indictment? Let us know in the comments down below. Also, stay tuned to HNHH to catch up with more emerging news from this story.

Hoodrich Pablo Juan Sentenced To 15 Years After Plea Deal In RICO Case

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Hoodrich Pablo Juan is presently looking down the barrel of 15 years in prison.

The 33-year-old rapper was becoming well known – especially in his Atlanta, Georgia area – for his innovative beats and aggressive flows. With collaborations alongside Playboi Carti, Migos, Gucci Mane, and more, the up-and-coming rapper was finally beginning to break into the mainstream.

A prior 1017 Eskimo member, Juan was one of the most promising standouts of Gucci Mane’s lineup. However, like many other talented artists, legal issues frequently complicated his career.

The New Jersey-born musician was previously taken into custody back in 2020 on account of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations charges. As you may know, these are some of the most serious allegations one can receive.

The state of Georgia had been investigating over 40 suspects including him. The final indictment was massive, including 59 counts of violations of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, 24 counts of aggravated assault, and four counts of kidnapping.

Hoodrich Pablo Juan performs onstage during Lil Baby & Friends concert to promote the new release of Lil Baby’s new album “Street Gossip” at Coca-Cola Roxy on November 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Additionally, four counts of murder, 92 counts of RICO, three counts of trafficking methamphetamine, and three counts of trafficking heroin were a part of the same indictment.

Since then Pablo Juan has reportedly reached a plea deal. According to court documents, he was given a 15-year sentence. That said, due to his plea, his final time is now down to at least five years in prison. Afterward, he can serve the remaining 10 years on probation.

A couple of trials and a bit of jail time aren’t enough to kill HPJ’s passion for music. His most recent mixtape was aptly titled Free Hood which he dropped in late 2021.

Check out the whole project here and let us know what you think of the RICO charges in the comments. Does Pablo Juan deserve what he got? Or are you team #FREEHOOD?

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Kim Kardashian Advocates For Gunna’s Release

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She has a proven track record of helping the incarcerated attain freedom, and Kim Kardashian looks to be advocating for Gunna’s release. The rapper has remained behind bars for months, following being named alongside Young Thug and several others in a massive RICO case in Georgia. The authorities claim that YSL is not a record label but a criminal street gang, however, both Thugger and Gunna’s teams have stated otherwise.

When it was first announced that the two rappers were taken into custody, people began sending Kardashian public pleas to help in their release.

It was recently shared that Gunna reportedly filed paperwork for a 3rd bond hearing. In the documents, his legal team argued that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to continue to hold him, and as that information circulated, Kardashian shared a message on her Instagram Story.

“Gunna has reportedly been dropped from any violence acts and hasn’t been named by any of the witnesses,” the post reads. “He’s spent 141 days in jail so far and will have a 3rd attempt at bond soon.”

The upload was accompanied by an Instagram post that reads, “FREE GUNNA.”

It has been expected that Gunna would find his way home soon, and possibly most charges dropped, but conversations regarding Young Thug’s case are more ominous. Investigators have named him as the head of YSL and alleged that the Rap icon has been personally responsible for calling shots on illegal activities. One issue that is continuously mentioned is Thugger’s animosity with YFN Lucci, as authorities claimed that Thugger was involved in an attack on Lucci behind bars.

Both Thugger and Gunna have denied the allegations against them. They are reportedly slated to go to trial early next year.