Young Thug’s guilty plea leads to jail release

Young Thug is getting out.

Rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, has accepted a guilty plea on drug and firearm charges and a no-contest plea on charges of conspiracy and gang affiliation, according to NBC News.

This resolution follows Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial, which began in January 2023.

After pleading guilty, Young Thug received a 40-year sentence, with five years to be served in prison. However, Judge Paige Whitaker has credited time served, allowing for his immediate release.

Following his release, he will be on probation for 15 years. If he fails to meet the terms, he faces an additional 20 years in custody. As part of his probation, Williams must refrain from entering the Metro-Atlanta area and avoid contact with any gang affiliates.

After the sentencing, Judge Whitaker warned the Grammy winner, according to NBC News, "There better be no violations, but if there are any, you're coming back to see me."

The judge also advised him to contribute to his community, suggesting that "if you choose to continue to rap, you need to try to use your influence to let kids know that is not the way to go."

"There are ways out of poverty besides hooking up with the powerful guy at the end of the street selling drugs," Judge Whitaker continued. "I want you to be more of the solution and less of the problem."

Young Thug admitted that he does have influence in his Atlanta community, telling the court he would take "full responsibility for my crimes and for my charges," as per NBC News.

"I know what I bring to the table and I know what I am," he said. "I know the heights I've reached and I know the impact I've got on people in the community."