Young Thug was denied bond during a court hearing on Thursday.
The rapper, real name Jeffery Williams, made an appearance at Fulton County Superior Court to request release from jail while he awaits his trial related to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act charges.
Williams is facing a number of charges, including illegal gang activity and conspiracy to violate RICO.
Despite testimony from music executive Kevin Liles and musician Machine Gun Kelly in Williams’s favour, Judge Ural Glanville denied the bond request over fears the 30-year-old may intimidate witnesses if released.
According to Billboard, Liles testified that the gang activity Williams is charged with “is not him”, adding, “That’s not the Jeffery I know. The Jeffery I know would give me the clothes off his back.”
In addition, Kelly and another music executive, Lyor Cohen, submitted pre-taped testimonies defending Williams.
“I realise that Mr. Williams is presumed innocent,” the judge responded. “However, in this particular circumstance, there have been significant (claims) about Mr. Williams being a danger to the community.”
These claims came from prosecutor Don Geary, who asserted the state’s witnesses were already being “threatened with serious violence and death”.
Geary alleged that other gang members in the case “have stated uniformly that Mr. Williams is dangerous, they are afraid of him, that if they cross him he will kill them and their family”.
The order means Williams will stay in jail until his January 2023 trial date.
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