ATLANTA — A Georgia judge on Thursday denied bail for Atlanta rapper Young Thug, who is awaiting trial after authorities alleged that the Grammy Award winner and his Young Slime Life syndicate were involved in gang-related activity.
At a hearing in Fulton County Superior Court, Judge Ural Glanville said that the rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, constituted a flight risk, WSB-TV reported. The judge also was apparently swayed by arguments that Williams might intimidate witnesses if he was released, according to Billboard.
“I realize that Mr. Williams is presumed innocent,” Glanville said, according to the entertainment outlet. “However, in this particular circumstance there have been significant (claims) about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community.”
A Fulton County judge has denied bond for Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams. https://t.co/LTnKLKWgCF
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) June 2, 2022
Williams was arrested on May 9 and booked in the Fulton County Jail on charges of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and participating in criminal street gang activity, WSB reported. He was indicted on 56 counts alongside fellow YSL rappers including Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens, Rolling Stone reported.
The indictment alleged that Williams and other YSL members “conspired to associate together and with others for the common purposes of illegally obtaining money and property through a pattern of racketeering activity, and conducting and participating in the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering.”
>> Rapper Young Thug arrested on gang charges in Atlanta
Williams appeared in a video from the Cobb County Jail during Thursday’s proceedings. Kevin Liles, the co-founder of 300 Entertainment, testified on behalf of the rapper, the magazine reported.
Brian Steel, Williams’ attorney, has denied the allegations against his client.
“Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever, and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him,” Steel told WSB last month.
Williams’ trial is expected to begin on Jan. 9, 2023, Rolling Stone reported.
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