A judge in Atlanta has rejected prosecutors’ request to revoke Young Thug’s probation and send him to prison. However, the judge cautioned the rapper about his social media activity after a viral post triggered backlash against the district attorney’s office.
The 33-year-old rapper, who pleaded guilty in October to gang, drug, and gun charges, had been released from jail. In a court filing Wednesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued that Young Thug’s online actions “directly threaten the safety of witnesses and prosecutors, compromise ongoing legal proceedings, and warrant immediate revocation of probation.”
Despite this, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker ruled Thursday against revoking his probation.
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“While the Court does not find that the cited social media post rises to the level of a violation of Defendant’s probation, it may be prudent for Defendant to exercise restraint regarding certain topics,” Whitaker wrote in a footnote to her order.
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Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug reposted an image of a district attorney’s office investigator with a caption calling her “the biggest liar in the DA’s office.” The post went viral, garnering over 2 million views and sparking thousands of comments and shares.
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According to the filing, the investigator’s home address and that of her parents were later posted online, leading to threats against her and her family—including one post that explicitly threatened Willis’ assassination.
Young Thug denied any malicious intent.
“I don’t make threats to people. I’m a good person,” he wrote Wednesday on X. “I would never condone or participate in threatening anyone. I’m all about peace and love.”
His attorney, Brian Steel, dismissed the prosecution’s claims as misleading, asserting that Young Thug had not violated his probation.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was indicted in May 2022 alongside more than two dozen others for alleged violations of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. The indictment accused him of cofounding a violent street gang linked to murders, shootings, and carjackings, with the gang’s activities allegedly promoted through music and social media.
Under his sentencing terms, Young Thug faced a total of 40 years—five in prison (commuted to time served), followed by 15 years on probation. An additional 20-year sentence looms, to be waived only if he remains compliant with probation conditions. Had the judge ruled against him, those 20 years behind bars would have taken immediate effect.
Prosecutors claim the investigator in question is a witness in a “multi-defendant gang murder” case. A judge had ordered that she not be shown on television while testifying. According to the filing, a blogger later posted her image with the caption, “She doesn’t want to be shown on screen? Well, here she is.” Young Thug then reshared that post.
Prosecutors argued that his continued association with individuals involved in witness intimidation and obstruction of justice violated his probation. His lawyer, however, countered that there was no evidence Young Thug knew about the judge’s order and that simply resharing an image and expressing an opinion did not constitute a violation.
Notably, none of the direct threats referenced by prosecutors were attributed to Young Thug himself.
The trial for Young Thug and five others began in November 2023 after nearly 10 months of jury selection. While the rapper and three co-defendants pleaded guilty, the remaining two were found not guilty of racketeering, murder, and gang-related charges, though one was convicted on a weapons charge.
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