Violating RICO carries a maximum of 20 years and a fine that is "greater of $25,000 or three times the amount of pecuniary gain." Recently, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office hired a RICO expert in its investigating potential efforts by former President Donald Trump and others to influence last year’s general election. However, in both state and federal laws, a pattern of criminal enterprise has to be established. Georgia is one of only 33 states that has its own RICO statutes. Georgia’s RICO statutes are similar to the federal version, but are much broader in that the criminal "enterprise" does not have to be around as long. Prosecutors have also used RICO to try to dismantle several street gangs and helped in prosecuting businesses that break federal law. The Justice Department has used RICO to dismantle multiple crime families including the Gambions and also has helped to weed out corruption in several city police departments including those in Key West and Los Angeles. Those crimes can include fraud, theft, computer crimes, embezzlement, credit scams, investment schemes, human trafficking, illegal gambling, bribery, kidnapping, murder, money laundering, counterfeiting, and various drug charges. It draws from a list of 27 federal crimes and eight state crimes committed repeated over the course of a 10-year period. It was enacted in 1970 after being signed into law by President Richard Nixon.įederally, RICO was originally was intended to be used to combat the Mafia. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was developed to fight organized crime. Young Thug's arrest has thrust the common, but complex charge of RICO back into the public spotlight. What is the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act? Williams remains in the Fulton County Jail. No date has been set yet for that bond hearing. We will fight this case ethically, legally and zealously. We filed a Motion for Bond and anticipate a hearing in the near future. We look forward to the opportunity to defend this case in court. "Jeffery Williams, who performs as "Young Thug," vehemently denies the allegations lodged against him in the Fulton County (Georgia) Indictment of May 9, 2022. The judge told Williams during his hearing on Tuesday that bond could not be set for the 30-year-old rapper due to the indictment.įollowing the hearing, WIlliams' lawyer Brian Steel released a statement that reads: Lawyers for "Young Thug" refute RICO charges "We are proud to bring forth this indictment and hopefully to bring justice to a lot of the community who was victimized through the course you see in this indictment, but more importantly, the most important thing we are here to do is to keep this community safe and we believe removing these 28 defendants will keep Fulton County safer," Willis said. Willis' office also release associated social media posts the indictment states is "an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy." The DA says the post supports "an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy." ( Fulton County District Attorney's Office) The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office released this image from social media that was referenced in the indictment of rapper Young Thug and 27 other members of the YSL enterprise. The DA indicted Williams and 27 other members of YSL including fellow rappers Gunna and Yak Gotti. READ THE FULL LIST OF THOSE INDICTED AND THE CHARGES They are committing, conservatively, 75-80% of all of the violent crime we are seeing in our community," Willis said. "My number one focus is targeting gangs and there's a reason for that. The 88-page indictment filed on Sunday outlines 180 acts that support just the first of the 56 separate charges for 28 members of gang. WIllis said Williams is one of three founding members of the so-called "Young Slime Life" (YSL) enterprise, which associates with the Blood street gang. "It does not matter what your notoriety is, what your fame is, if you come to Fulton County, Georgia and you commit crimes and certainly if those crimes are in furtherance of a street gang, that you are going to become a target and a focus of this district attorney's office and we are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law," Fulton County District Attorney Fani WIllis said during a press conference that same day.
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