YSL Case To End After 3 Years With A Twist As Final Defendant Heads To Trial: Reports

ATLANTA, GA — After three years, the gang and racketeering case that was once against rapper Young Thug and 27 others will end with no murder convictions and the last defendant heading to trial, media reports say.

Of the dozens of defendants in the case, only one was fully cleared of wrongdoing: Rapper Deamonte "Yak Gotti" Kendrick. However, Kendrick was sentenced on other charges gathered during his time in incarceration and was released from jail on probation.

Fulton County prosecutors alleged Kendrick, Jeffery "Young Thug" Williams and 26 others were part of a criminal street gang known as Young Slime Life. Defense attorneys have argued Williams' YSL label is just that, a rap label.

Kendrick was one of multiple defendants facing murder charges before being acquitted during the months-long jury trial.

Demise McMullen was the last defendant to bargain a deal with Fulton County prosecutors, entering an Alford plea to aggravated assault opposed to the murder charge he originally faced, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He also entered an Alford plea for conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the AJC reported.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker sentenced McMullen to 40 years, 20 of which will run concurrent with time he is presently serving and 20 of which will be suspended, the AJC reported.

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A lingering attempted murder case against Christian Eppinger, accused of shooting an Atlanta Police officer six times in February 2022, will soon go before a jury to determine his fate, WAGA-TV reported. He faces two life sentences plus 100 years, the news outlet reported.

Jury selection in Eppinger's case will begin Monday, WAGA-TV reported.

Others who have entered plea deals were either released on probation or sentenced to prison.

Williams pleaded guilty to some charges against him in the gang case on Halloween 2024, ultimately receiving 15 years probation with a host of special conditions and a backloaded 20 years to be served in prison if he violates probation terms. Whitaker also banned Williams from Atlanta for the first 10 years of his probation.

Attorneys Brian Steel and Keith Adams represented Williams.

“I’m certainly not surprised,” Adams told the AJC in a report about the case nearing an end with no murder convictions. “It was obvious they did not have the evidence to prove that these individuals committed a murder. Perhaps if they had charged aggravated assault from the beginning, we wouldn’t have spent 2½-plus years wasting taxpayer money and bastardizing the justice system.”

A Fulton County jury unanimously found Kendrick and co-defendant Shannon "SB" Stillwell not guilty of murder and other charges on Dec. 3, 2024 after deliberating for four days.

While Kendrick was found not guilty of all charges against him, Stillwell was found guilty of a singular charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Whitaker sentenced Stillwell to 10 years with two to serve and credit for time served. The remainder of the sentence will be served on probation.

Related:

• Rapper Young Thug's Trial Halted Due To Review Of GA Judge: Reports
• YSL Defendant In Stable Condition After Fulton Jail Stabbing: Sheriff
• Young Thug Lawyer Moves To Bar Prosecutor From ATL Gang Case: Report
• Attorney Arrested For Medication In Atlanta's YSL RICO Case: Report
• Young Thug RICO Case: Opening Statements Begin In Fulton Court: Report
• Fulton DA Seeks Delay In Gang Trial Against Rappers Young Thug, Gunna
• Rapper Young Thug Taken To Hospital Amid RICO Trial: Report

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