Young Thug must remain behind bars until further notice.
According to 11 Alive, the 31-year-old rapper—born Jeffery Lamar Williams—was denied bond once again in his highly publicized RICO case. Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville announced his decision during a Thursday court hearing while addressing Thug’s legal counsel Keith Adams and Brian Steele.
“I’ve considered the proffers made by the state, I’ve considered the arguments of the defense,” the judge said. “At this point in time, though, Mr. Adams and Mr. Steel, I am still not convinced [by] what you’ve argued [...] I’m going to deny bond at this time.”
He continued: “It is not lost on me that your client remains in custody. It is not lost on me your client enjoys the presumption of innocence. I respect that all of you, as seasoned advocates, and I understand fully that there are differences in bond and differences in what may be pled at trial. And I understand that you all as defendants don’t have any responsibility at all to present anything. The government has the responsibility to present and prove everything that’s alleged in the indictment.”
Thug, Gunna, and 26 other YSL affiliates were arrested in May on gang-related charges. Authorities accused the defendants of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act as well as participation in a criminal street gang. The original 88-page indictment pointed to lyrics and music videos to support the allegations against the YSL associates, who included PeeWee Roscoe, Duke, Yak Gotti, and Thugger’s brother Unfoonk.
Earlier this month, Thug was slapped with seven additional felony counts stemming from a May 9 raid on his Atlanta home. The charges included possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute as well as possession of illegal guns.
“I’ll tell you the response to any allegation is Mr. Williams committed no crime whatsoever,” Steel told WSBTV last week, “and we will fight to my last drop of blood to clear him.”
In the months since Thug’s arrest, his legal team has filed multiple motions seeking his release on bond. His previous request was denied in early June, when Glanville cited concerns about potential witness intimidation.
“I realize that Mr. Williams is presumed innocent,” Glanville said at the time. “However, in this particular circumstance there have been significant [claims] about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community.”
Thug’s trial is expected to begin in January 2023.
