Young Thug has been hit with several new charges while awaiting trial in his RICO case.
According to WSB-TV, the Atlanta rapper (real name Jeffery Williams) is facing misdemeanor charges for street racing, reckless driving and speeding. Thug is alleged to have drove a vehicle at 120 mph on Interstate 85 in May.
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Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, claims the rapper is innocent all of the charges he’s facing and is being wronged by the system.
“As of two weeks ago, that case was being resolved with a seatbelt violation,” he said in a statement. “Today, now its indicted in the Fulton County Superior Court. He is being wronged by our system.”
In May, Young Thug was arrested along with 27 others (including Gunna) on racketeering charges related to Young Slime Life, which prosecutors allege is a criminal street gang that claims affiliation with the Bloods.
The Punk rapper was charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and participation in a criminal street gang. He has been incarcerated since his arrest having repeatedly been denied bond.
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Brian Steel added that Thug is looking forward to proving his innocence in the RICO trial, which begins on January 9, 2023. He also shared a statement from the rapper on the November shooting deaths of 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson near Atlantic Station, which police say was gang-related.
“The effects of gun violence on individual and communities in Atlanta runs deep with many more families having to mourn their loved ones,” Young Thug said. “We have to make our community safe. I vow to use my influence to help stop the violence in Atlanta, and around the world.”
When a reporter told Steel that people may be skeptical about the rapper’s statement given the charges he’s facing, he said: “They should come to the trial. He’s committed no crime. And Mr. Williams will do whatever he has to do and has done a great deal to try to have non-violence in our community.”
He added: “Mr. Williams is not the head of any criminal street gang, he’s not involved in any type of criminal activity that involves any type of violence.”
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In November, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion to ban video cameras in the upcoming RICO trial to protect the indentity of witnesses and allow them to provide accurate and complete testimonies.
“Several witnesses have expressed safety concerns to the State and they are concerned about the safety of themselves and their families should they choose to testify,” the motion read. “The State is concerned that video recordings of witnesses’ and victims’ faces could endanger these individuals’ safety.”
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She continued: “The State is concerned about the impact upon due process and the truth-finding function of the judicial proceeding. Witnesses may be afraid to testify and provide full information if they are aware they are being video-recorded, and that their personal safety could be jeopardized as a result of their testimony.”
