Rapper Young Thug’s brother arrested

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Quantavious Grier, the brother of rapper Young Thug, was arrested Thursday.

Grier was arrested on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, several minor traffic violations and persons associated with a criminal street gang to participate in criminal activity.

Grier had previously taken a plea deal in the Young Slime Life RICO case and avoided jail time. His original 12-year sentence was commuted to time served and probation. The plea deal included a provision that Grier couldn’t own a gun. Grier also couldn’t have contact with Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Williams.

FULL COVERAGE: YOUNG THUG TRIAL

Grier’s arrest is the latest development in Young Thug’s massive RICO trial that has taken the case into several bizarre dimensions. Jury selection has already lasted longer than any other in Georgia history, and has been repeatedly plagued by arrests, charges and disruptions.

Earlier this week, attorney Angela D’Williams told Atlanta News First Investigates she may have to resort to selling pictures of herself on an adult website to compensate for the low pay.

D’Williams is one of multiple attorneys contracted by the Georgia Public Defender Council to represent defendants in the trial. The council is a taxpayer-funded state agency obligated to provide attorneys to people charged with crimes who cannot afford one.

D’Williams represents Rodalius Ryan, one of the defendants who, last week, was removed from the Fulton County courtroom on suspicion of marijuana possession.

D’Williams believes the council’s pay is not enough due to the complexity of the RICO case and how long it’s expected to last. Jury selection began back in January, and to date, not a single juror has been seated.

The state has only agreed to pay attorneys $15,000 for a murder case that could require them to attend court nearly daily for at least a year. That’s less than what some fast-food workers make.

On Monday, D’Williams told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville she’s repeatedly asked to meet with Omotayo Alli, the council’s director, to learn what the agency is doing to address the pay. When Alli declined, D’Williams subpoenaed her to force her to answer questions about the pay in court.

Young Thug’s trial has been plagued by other controversies as well.

A few weeks ago, a potential juror was jailed for filming court proceedings. Back in January, the mother of Deamonte Kendrick - aka Yak Gotti - was arrested and charged with criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor and issued a $1,500 bond. Latasha Kendrick is accused of trying to pass tobacco products to her son.

Also in January, Kahlieff Adams, a rapper who is also on trial with Young Thug was charged with possession of a schedule 2 controlled substance; possession of less than an ounce of marijuana; possession of an alcoholic beverage by an inmate; and two counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers.

New developments in the YSL trial. For the first time, one of the defendants has been granted bond.

Two weeks, attorney Anastasios Manettas - who represents Miles Farley - was arrested on charges of simple battery on law enforcement officers, possession (pills not in original container), obstruction and disruption of court proceedings.

After Manettas’ arrest, Glanville announced Farley’s trial has been severed from the overall YSL case. That means the number of YSL-related defendants in the case is now 13. Farley is accused in the death of Shymel Drinks in a feud between YSL and another gang.

YSL defense attorney discusses arrest of fellow case attorney

Williams is facing eight criminal counts under a federal law that was originally enacted to fight organized crime.

The federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law was passed and signed into law in 1970 by President Richard Nixon. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it allows prosecutors to link apparently unrelated crimes with a common objective into a prosecutable pattern of racketeering.

RICO also provides for more severe penalties and permits a defendant to be convicted and separately punished for the underlying crimes that constitute a racketeering pattern.

Georgia is one of 33 states that has its own RICO law, but in the Peach State, the alleged criminal enterprises do not have to have existed as long as the federal law.

RECENT YOUNG THUG HEADLINES

Download our Atlanta News First app for the most up-to-date information on Young Thug’s trial.

Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.