After being named in a 28-person grand jury indictment that also included Young Thug earlier this week, rapper Gunna was taken into custody yesterday morning (May 11).
Gunna – real name Sergio Kitchens – is charged, along with the other 27 people listed in the 56-count indictment, with conspiracy to violate the state of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The indictment centres around the YSL record label and collective, allegedly formed by Thug – real name Jeffery Lamar Williams – in 2012, which authorities claim is a “criminal street gang”. Part of the indictment is based around Williams, Kitchens and other YSL associates’ lyrics and social media posts allegedly being “acts in furtherance of the conspiracy”.
Among those lyrics are a line from Williams and Kitchens’ collaboration ‘Slatty’, in which the latter raps: “I killed his man in front of his momma / Like fuck lil bruh, sister and his cousin.”
Now, two days after the indictment, Kitchens has been arrested, according to Fulton County Sheriff’s Office’s jail record. In a statement to TMZ, Kitchens’ attorneys – Donald F. Samuel, John A. Garland and Kristen W. Novay – claimed Kitchens’ innocence.
“The indictment falsely portrays his music as part of a criminal conspiracy,” they said, criticising the use of the rapper’s lyrics as legal grounds to prosecute him. “Mr. Kitchens has been an advocate for his community, and it is our privilege to advocate for him.”
Williams and Kitchens’ co-defendants face numerous other counts in the indictment. Among them are murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, weapons and drug charges.
Williams was arrested on Monday (May 9) on two charges: conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and participating in criminal street gang activity. The rapper’s lawyer says Williams “committed no crime whatsoever” and that he and his team would “fight this case ethically, legally and zealously” to clear Williams’ name.
Williams has since been charged with seven more felonies after police reportedly raided his home in Atlanta. Those include possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of firearm during commission of a felony.
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