Gunna Released From Prison After Pleading Guilty To RICO Charge
Gunna has been released from prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate Georgia’s RICO Act. According to The Atlanta Journal-Consistitution, the 29-year-old rapper was released from custody on Wednesday (Dec. 15) after entering an Alford plea and initially being sentenced to five years in prison with one year served.
An Alford plea is a negotiated agreement that allows a defendant to maintain their innocence with the understanding that the evidence gathered by the prosecution would likely result in a guilty verdict. The presiding judge in the case commuted the rapper’s one-year sentence to time served and suspended the remaining four years on the sentence contingent on conditions such as Gunna completing 500 hours of community service.
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The “Pushin P” rapper, born Sergio Kitchens, released a statement via his attorney announcing his decision to accept the plea and his reasoning behind it.
“I have chosen to end my own RICO case with an Alford plea and end my personal ordeal by publicly acknowledging my association with YSL,” he shared in a written statement. “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.”
The Atlanta native made it clear that his cooperation against Young Thug or any of the other defendants in the YSL RICO case was not a part of the agreement and that he will not be required to take the stand during their respective trials.
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” Gunna said in the statement.
The hitmaker was arrested and charged in May after being included in a 56-count indictment against YSL, which is accused of being a violent street gang that was founded by Young Thug in 2012. According to prosecutors, YSL and its members were engaged in “preserving, protecting and enhancing the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through acts of racketeering activity including murder, assault and threats of violence.”
Gunna was previously denied bail on three occasions prior to his release.
The Grammy Award nominee’s collaborator and YSL CEO Young Thug remains incarcerated since his initial arrest in May on charges that include drug possession, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a machine gun. The rapper was recently hit with additional charges by the Atlanta District Attorney’s office for street racing, reckless driving, and speeding by the Atlanta District Attorney’s office.
The rapper’s trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 5.
