Gunna, the US rapper, has pleaded guilty to the racketeering charge against him.
In May, the music star and Jeffery Williams were among 28 persons associated with the YSL label who were charged in a 56-count Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) indictment.
Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, turned himself in and was denied bond, with his trial scheduled to begin on January 9, 2023.
But on Wednesday, the rapper, according to a statement, pleaded guilty to a single charge of racketeering.
He got a five-year sentence, with one year commuted for the time already served and the rest suspended.
This is subject to probation conditions, including 500 hours of community service.
The rapper entered what is called an Alford plea, which allows a person to plead guilty — while still maintaining innocence — if it is believed the prosecution’s evidence would likely result in a guilty verdict at trial.
Gunna was released from jail the same day.
The rapper said he didn’t think of YSL as a gang in 2016 when his rap career began to yield results.
Gunna said he focused on the entertainment aspects, even if it meant an exaggeration of the Black urban lifestyle.
“When I became affiliated with YSL in 2016, I did not consider it a gang, more like a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations,” his statement read.
“My focus of YSL was entertainment, rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and glorified urban life in the Black community.
“I have chosen to end my RICO case with an Alford plea and end my personal ordeal by publicly acknowledging my association with YSL.
“An Alford plea in my case is the entry of a guilty plea to the one charge against me, which is in my best interest, while at the same time maintaining my innocence toward the same charge.”
Gunna is signed to Young Thug’s record label YSL Records, as well as 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records.
In October 2016, Gunna released his debut mixtape ‘Drip Season’ through YSL, featuring members of the label.
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