ATLANTA – Citing “numerous threats to kill or hurt witnesses,” prosecutors in the case against rapper Young Thug and a group of his associates accused of being part of a violent street gang have secured an order forcing lawyers to the defense to retain witnesses. contact information of their customers, show court documents.
Prosecutors said they have learned of numerous threats against witnesses, who have said “they fear not only for their own lives, but for those of their families if they have to testify,” according to a motion filed this week.
Defense attorneys denied any attempt to intimidate witnesses.
The order, issued Wednesday by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, highlights the tense nature of a case that has targeted one of the world’s most famous rap artists. And it has shaken the creative community from which it emerged in Atlanta, a city known internationally as a major incubator of hip-hop talent.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was among the 27 people charged in May in a widespread indictment by the grand jury that identified them as members of a subset of Bloods street gangs known as Young Slime Life. or YSL.
Some were charged with violent crimes, such as murder and attempted armed robbery, and all were charged with conspiracy to violate the state Racketeer Corrupt and Influenced Organizations Act, or RICO. Mr. Williams was charged with conspiracy charges and a charge of involvement in criminal street gang activities.
On Tuesday, District Attorney Fani T. Willis of Fulton County filed a motion in court that said the gang “has a history of intimidating witnesses” and also noted an incident, described in the indictment, in which a member of the band called Christian Eppinger was. accused of attempting to assassinate two Atlanta police officers.
The motion argues that law enforcement officers are potentially at risk, noting that a relative of one of the defendants, Quartavius Mender, was recently arrested and charged with threatening Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and the his wife. Mr. Mender, says the motion, wrote “#freethug or Imma sh00t u and your wife” and “Imma assassinate you” on the sheriff’s social media profile, using a hashtag that Young Thug fans have used in the reviews. online from prosecutors. Box.
On Wednesday, Brian Steel, Mr. Williams said the artist “has never intimidated or threatened any witnesses.”
“However, I cannot wait to receive the discovery,” he continued, “so that we may continue our march toward the cleansing of an innocent man.”
Mr. Steel said earlier that YSL was not a street gang. The rapper, who was arrested on May 9, has been denied bail and is being held in a prison outside Atlanta.