Celebrated American rapper Young Thug has been arrested for gang-related charges and is being held awaiting a court appearance on May 17.
The artiste, real name Jeffery Lamar Williams is being investigated as part of a larger grand jury indictment alongside 28 others who are also members and associates of his record label, YSL, the BBC reports.
“As well as being charged with criminal street gang activity, he has also been charged with conspiring to violate a federal law aimed at combatting organised crime. The indictment names the YSL enterprise, which stands for "Young Slime Life", as an affiliate of the national Bloods gang,” BBC reports.
The rapper and his colleagues are also under scrutiny for hand gestures, emojis and use of other signs linking them to YSL as an affiliate to the Bloods, a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California.
“[He] was taken into custody after the home he was at was raided and is being held at Fulton County Jail,” Complex reports.
The magazine adds: “The conspiracy charge stems from an alleged incident that occurred on January 24, 2013 while the gang charge is connected to an alleged offense from May 12, 2018.”
The news was first released by a reporter at Atlanta- based network WSB-TV, Michael Seiden.
“According to 56 count indictment, Young Thug is facing charges of participation in street gang activity and conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act; Gunna is facing one count of conspiring to violate (RICO),” Seiden wrote on Twitter.
The popular rapper Gunna (Sergio Giavanni Kitchens) has also been charged with one count of conspiring to violate RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).
According to BBC, some of the other 28 defendants have also been charged with more violent crimes, including murder and attempted robbery.
