The ongoing YSL RICO case has been extended further as defense attorney Eric Johnson’s hearing has now been rescheduled.
According to Jozsef Papp of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the advocate, who has been representing Christian Eppinger, was involved in a traffic accident a few weeks ago and has been dealing with its medical repercussions ever since. Because he is currently unfit to appear in court, his hearing has been moved to July 12.
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On Wednesday (May 31), Fulton County deputies obtained a search warrant for Johnson’s laptop and took possession of the device. He expressed to the judge that the seizure implies that his client used the computer to interact with YSL members who aren’t in police custody.
Aside from the RICO charges, Eppinger has been charged with shooting Officer David Rodgers of the Atlanta Police Department six times. The lawman is a part of the city’s gang unit and was serving the defendant an arrest warrant when he was shot in the back of the head. Though he lived, Rodgers is still recovering from the incident. In February, Eppinger was additionally charged with stabbing an inmate at the Fulton County Jail.
The hearing has been tentatively reschedule for July 12.https://t.co/NWDyidrexk
— Jozsef Papp (@JozsefPapp_) June 21, 2023
In other news regarding the case, Young Thug and Gunna were recently pulled back into the spotlight as the proceedings took another dramatic turn.
A verified Twitter account that goes by “YSL RICO updates” has revealed that the two rappers — who are just a few of the many charged in the wide-ranging case — have been added to the prosecution’s witness list in a separate RICO case involving the YFN (Young Fly N-gga) collective, who are associates of Thugga’s.
In RICO cases, all evidence is admissible against everyone else, according to NoLo — which means that any evidence uncovered in the YFN RICO case can and will be used in the YSL RICO case, and vice versa, especially since both groups are being charged under one sweeping indictment, and are both allegedly tied to the Bloods gang.
The witness list, however, has not been independently verified by prosecutors.
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The alleged addition of Young Thug to the prosecution’s witness list is an intriguing one, especially since YFN Lucci refused to testify against Thugga back in December 2022.
“Any party can announce for example that Abraham Lincoln is on their witness list, but those words alone are meaningless,” his attorney, Drew Fielding, said at the time. “So, to be 100 percent clear, Rayshawn Bennett (YFN Lucci) will not be a witness in the YSL case.”
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This refusal to testify came after one of Young Thug’s associates reportedly tried to stab YFN Lucci in jail.
For his part, YFN Lucci has also reportedly been offered a sweetheart plea deal. The rapper, who is currently sitting behind bars with regards to his alleged involvement in a murder that left a 28-year-old man dead, was hit with the RICO charges while he was out on bond for the alleged murder.
According to VladTV, the sweetheart plea deal will reportedly give the rapper (real name Rayshawn Bennett) 20 years behind bars for all crimes — including the RICO crimes — for which he must serve at least 17 “inside.” But, as with the witness list, the sweetheart plea deal has yet to be confirmed as true.
