Source: Fulton County PD / Fulton County Sheriff’s Department
The judge in the racketeering case denied Young Thug the chance to be released on bond after his hearing, dealing the rapper a huge blow in his bid to get out of jail before trial.
On Thursday (June 2nd), according to reports, Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville denied bond to the “Tapout” rapper after his hearing despite the pleas from his defense attorneys and Young Thug pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him in the racketeering case. Judge Glanville opted to listen to the prosecution team, who raised concerns about the safety of witnesses for the state in the case. “We have evidence and information of even more threats,” Prosecutor Don Geary said. “Our witnesses in this case are being threatened with violence, serious violence, and death.”
Attorneys for Young Thug had requested that the rapper be released on bond under the 24-hour supervision of off-duty law enforcement officers. The rapper also signaled a willingness to be placed in home confinement at any of his four houses in the Atlanta area in addition to surrendering his phone and passport. Defense attorney Brian Steel also declared that despite the estimated $1 million a year cost those measures would incur, it would be worth it to the rapper to avoid being in his Cobb County cell for 22 hours a day.
The judge also heard from numerous witnesses during the ten-hour hearing who testified to Young Thug’s positive character, which included Kevin Liles, co-founder of 300 Entertainment. “I’m kind of emotional because of how good this guy is,” said Liles, who has worked closely with Thug over the years. “He’s like a son to me.” Liles had offered to put up his own property as collateral for the rapper’s release. Young Thug, along with Gunna, were among two dozen people named in the 56-count indictment issued in May which charges them with conspiring to violate Georgia’s criminal racketeering law. The indictment does highlight several more serious allegations of murder and drug possession carried out by YSL (Young Stoner Life) associates, who prosecutors claim is a street gang under the command of Young Thug. “Because he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty. He has others do his business,” Geary said during the hearing.
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