Bec Oakes
Young Thug's lawyer will join him in jail after his trial took a dramatic turn yesterday (June 10).
On May 9 2022, rapper Young Thug was arrested after being charged alongside 27 others in a 56-count indictment in Atlanta.
The 32-year-old - whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams - is accused of being a founding member of the gang Young Slime Life.
Prosecutors claim that YSL members were involved in murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft, drug dealing, carjacking and witness intimidation.
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Young Thug himself is not facing murder charges, but is accused of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, participating in street gang activity, three counts of violating the Georgia controlled substances act, possession of a firearm while committing a felony and possession of a machine gun.
If found guilty, Williams could face an 120 year prison sentence.
Amid the drama, Williams' attorney Brian Steel has been thrust into the spotlight, his defence attracting attention for all the wrong reasons.
According to Billboard, Steel has said of his client: "(Young Thug) doesn’t even know most of the people in this indictment.
"He’s not sitting there telling people to kill people.
"He doesn’t need their money.
"Jeffery is worth tens of millions of dollars."
Steel continued: "He is not running this criminal street gang in Cleveland Avenue area of 'Bleveland,' to gain property, money or power.
"Jeffery Williams did it on will and hard work and determination without anybody’s help except for the people from that area who he will not turn his back on."
Now, in a dramatic turn of events, Steel is set to join Young Thug in jail.
He was arrested, held in criminal contempt and given nearly three weeks of jail time after refusing to disclose who told him about a private meeting between the judge, the prosecution and a key witness in the trial.
Judge Ural Glanville told the defence attorney that he would be jailed if he failed to name his source.
"You will go into custody at five o’clock today or whenever we finish if you don’t tell me," the judge said.
Later in the hearing, Steel was given 20 days in jail. He will serve his sentence on the weekends commencing June 14.
While Steel is appealing the decision, he requested to serve his time alongside Young Thug in Fulton County Jail if his appeal fails.
"I’d ask that I could be with Mr. Williams, and we work on our case all weekend, for all those weekends. Otherwise, I can’t prepare, I speak with Mr Williams all the time," Steel argued.
Glanville agreed to the lawyer's request, responding: "You have my support. I will talk to our sheriff, and we may be able to make that work."
The judge also said that he would lift the contempt order if Steel revealed his source.
UNILAD has contacted representation for both Brian Steel and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office for comment.