ATLANTA — Atlanta rapper Young Thug is facing six new charges in the Fulton County RICO case. Court documents filed on Aug. 5 show the rapper, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams sheds light on why.
Attorney Darryl Cohen said this tactic is a way for the district attorney to strengthen the case.
"The DA's office takes and basically throws away the old indictment, the official charges. They add these new charges and take what they had before. So just think of a room was closing in on you," he told 11Alive's Karys Belger Wednesday.
According to a representative with the Fulton County District Attorney, the charges are tied to a previous search of William's home on May 9. The new charges include the following.
- Participation in criminal street gang activity
- Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
- Possession of codeine with intent to distribute
- Possession of cocaine
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
- Possession of a machine gun
Cohen explained the district attorney's office would only move forward if there was clear evidence. He also explained the case is under a lot of scrutiny because of how well-known the rapper is.
"It's not an easy thing to get because he's so high profile," he said.
When asked what's next in the case, Cohen explains that there are multiple outcomes that are possible.
"The attorney can say, 'We're going to go to trial.' And Young Thug has that right. And he subjects himself to many, many years in prison. Or at some point, they try to work a deal. We call it plea bargaining, to have maybe some of the charges reduced, maybe some of them combined," Cohen said.