The YSL RICO trial resumed Monday in Fulton County, focusing on the two remaining co-defendants, Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell, after rapper Young Thug and three others accepted plea deals last week following several days of negotiations.
The plea agreements between the defense and prosecution have altered the landscape of this high-profile gang and racketeering case, which centers on allegations of criminal activity tied to the YSL (Young Slime Life) group. Only Kendrick and Stillwell face charges in the trial, which has drawn national attention.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker addressed the jury as the trial resumed, instructing them to disregard the absence of certain co-defendants. She cautioned the jurors, “The prosecution of those co-defendants is no longer a part of this trial,” stressing that their verdict should be based solely on the evidence presented and consider each defendant’s case independently.
The charges against Kendrick, who performs under the name Yak Gotti, include conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas, participation in criminal street gang activity, three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during a felony, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon previously convicted of a firearm-related felony.
Stillwell, also known as Shannon Jackson or SB, is facing charges of conspiracy to violate RICO, two counts of murder (in connection with the 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas Jr. and the 2022 killing of Shymel Drinks), two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, two counts of firearm possession by a felon previously convicted of a firearm-related felony, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Meanwhile, twelve additional defendants will be tried separately. Prosecutors have also dismissed charges against one defendant following his conviction for murder in an unrelated case.
The YSL RICO case continues to evolve. Kendrick and Stillwell remain the last defendants in the courtroom, and their fates are now in the hands of the jurors.
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