FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An alleged gang member and aspiring rapper who is accused of shooting an Atlanta Police officer six times will no longer be part of Fulton County's RICO trial surrounding Young Slime Life.
Christian Eppinger was severed from the high-profile case Thursday after the state accused his attorney of allowing him to use his laptop to communicate with a Fulton County deputy via Instagram. The former deputy is accused of trying to sneak contraband to Eppinger with help from one of his family members, according to the sheriff's office. She is now facing charges.
Officials seized the laptop last week. However, Eppinger's attorney Eric Johnson denied these claims.
During Thursday's hearing, the judge ruled the accusations presented a conflict of interest and cited safety as the reason for severing Eppinger from the sweeping RICO case. Eppinger will now face a separate trial.
Eppinger was one of the initial defendants named in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' RICO trial rounding up YSL, or Young Slime Life members. Willis' office alleges that rapper Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, is the ringleader of the gang, connecting other crimes and defendants in metro Atlanta to the organization.
Eppinger is behind bars as he faces two separate cases. He originally went to jail after a 2016 armed robbery and served four years in custody as a juvenile. The aspiring rapper was released on probation when, according to the district attorney, he rejoined YSL and was involved in a string of crimes, including the arrest attempt in which he allegedly shot Atlanta Police Department Officer David Rogers six times. The officer survived.
Why is Young Thug in Jail?
The rapper, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, is one of 28 people charged with being part of the Young Slime Life street gang in a sweeping indictment brought last month by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
In particular, the Fulton County DA is targeting Young Thug as the alleged "head" of the gang - "he's the one they're all afraid of, he's the one that's King Slime" is how one prosecutor put it during the bond hearing.
However, the rapper's attorneys have argued there is no foundation for these accusations, saying he's being punished on the basis of rap lyrics and social media posts and little to no evidence of any criminal acts. They have emphasized his influence on the Cleveland Avenue community and to art.
Where does the case stand?
The ongoing jury selection is heading into its fifth month in the Young Slime Life RICO trial in Fulton County. May marked one year since the original indictment was handed down by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, alleging that YSL committed nearly 200 criminal acts.
It could take even longer to finally seat those deciding the fate of around a dozen alleged gang members.
Already, the YSL RICO trial is on pace to shatter records as the longest criminal trial in Fulton County history.
