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ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper Gunna arrested earlier this year Along with fellow rapper Young Thug and more than two dozen others, he pleaded guilty Wednesday in Atlanta to one count of racketeering conspiracy, according to a statement released by his attorney.
The 88-page indictment, obtained by Fulton County prosecutors in May, alleges members of the Young Slime Life street crime gang committed violent crimes designed to raise money for the gang, boost its reputation and Expand its sphere of influence and territory.
Gunna, whose name is Sergio Kitchens, appeared in court on Wednesday and entered the so-called Alford plea, which allows a person to maintain his innocence while pleading guilty is in his best interests.
“While I agree to always be honest, I want to make it very clear that I have not made any statements, have not been interviewed, have not cooperated, have not agreed to testify or act as a witness for or against either side of the case, and have absolutely no intention of participating in the trial process in any way ,” the rapper said in a statement.
One of his attorneys, Steve Sadow, said Kitchens was sentenced to five years in prison, to be served and suspended. He must also perform 500 hours of community service, including 350 hours “to speak to young men and women about the dangers and immorality of gangs and gang violence and the rot it creates in our communities,” Sadow wrote in an email. He is also prohibited from possessing any firearms or having contact with the other accused persons except through his attorney or record label.
Trials for others charged in the indictment are scheduled to begin next month.
Young Thug, whose name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, made history with Childish Gambino’s hit “This is America,” which became the first hip-hop song to win Song of the Year at the 2019 Grammys. The Fulton County prosecutor said, for example, that in late 2012 he and two others founded Young Slime Life, a street-violent crime ring commonly known as YSL, which is affiliated with the National Blood Gang. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Also, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Report Another person indicted, Walter Murphy, pleaded guilty Tuesday. Prosecutors say he co-founded the Young Slime Life gang with Williams. Murphy was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with one year commuted and nine years suspended, the newspaper reported.
Kitchens said in his statement that when he joined YSL in 2016, he didn’t think of it as a gang, but rather “a group of people from the metro Atlanta area who share common interests and artistic ambitions.” His focus It’s entertainment, he said, “where rap artists who write and perform music exaggerate and ‘glorify’ urban life in black communities.”
Kitchens signed to Williams’ Young Stoner Life record label. He scored his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart this year with “DS4Ever.”
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