Young Thug Got 15 Years’ Probation for RICO Case Sentencing, but How Long Was He Locked Up?

In what might be one of the most favorable outcomes in criminal history, rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was sentenced on Oct. 31, 2024, to 15 years of probation and no prison time, per Billboard. While Young Thug pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in a violent Atlanta street gang, the outlet noted that he refused a plea deal that would have let him walk free immediately.

Though that would have been ideal, he still ended up with a remarkably lenient outcome after accepting a non-negotiated guilty plea, leaving Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to sentence him to 15 years of probation and release him on Oct. 31, 2024. With jail now off the table, folks are curious as to how long Young Thug was actually locked up.

Prior to his release on the evening of Oct. 31, 2024, Young Thug had been locked up for over two years. The rapper was initially arrested on May 9, 2022, after being accused of co-founding Young Slime Life, an Atlanta-based street gang, per USA Today. He faced charges involving drugs, racketeering, and firearms.

According to the outlet, jury selection for his case began in January 2023, but the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) trial encountered numerous setbacks, making it Georgia’s longest-running criminal trial, as reported by NBC News.

Additionally, the case struggled to maintain a judge. Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the trial in July 2024, and Superior Court Judge Shakura L. Ingram took over briefly before recusing herself just days later. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker eventually stepped in and saw the trial through to completion.

After Young Thug and his legal team secured a deal that would allow him to essentially be freed from jail, he shared a heartfelt statement before exiting the court.

He started by saying, "I take full responsibility for my crimes, or my charges," and continued, "I want to say sorry to my family, my mom, my mom has 11 kids — I can't say all they names, the managers, my kids that's not here, really everyone that got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry for like having so much time invested in this."

He added, "I am a smart guy, I am a good guy and I really got a good heart. I find myself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool and I understand you can't be that way when you reach a certain height."

Young Thug's release after nearly 29 months behind bars stirred significant excitement — not only because he's free, but also for what lies ahead for the "Best Friend" rapper. "Today is going down in HISTORY," wrote YNT Joshy on X (formerly Twitter). Meanwhile, @sevenn6 couldn’t help but point out, "But 15 yrs probation is very wild imo."

Sure, 15 years on probation is a bit much, to be under constant authoritative watch, but that definitely beats being locked behind bars.