Gunna celebrated his embattled collaborator Young Thug’s birthday amid the YSL RICO trial on Friday (August 16). Gunna posted photos of the two on Instagram Stories while Young Thug was stuck in court for another day of testimony from key witness Kenneth “Woody” Copeland.
Young Thug, Gunna and 26 other defendants were indicted on RICO charges in May 2022. Gunna avoided trial by pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act. He was released from jail in December 2022.
“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 said in a 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.”
Gunna was widely accused of snitching after accepting a plea deal. YSL Mondo, a co-founder of the alleged gang, was among the many people calling the rapper a rat. YSL Mondo recently expressed regret over his comments about Gunna.
“I’m man enough to say I should’ve never spoken about the Gunna situation cause technically he didn’t rat he just kinda folded under pressure & should’ve just stayed down with his mans til everything was over,” YSL Mondo wrote on Instagram Stories. “All the originals know he ain’t did nothing, wasn’t even around from the beginning so he wasn’t gone do no real time regardless. I feel bad cause now a n#### who literally is a real live rat is running round the city getting glorified & smiling like he didn’t just send multiple n##### to jail.”
YSL Mondo’s reference to a “real live rat” was directed at Copeland, who is testifying in Young Thug’s trial — unlike Gunna. Copeland was involved in a secret meeting with Judge Ural Glanville and prosecutors that derailed the trial for weeks. Judge Glanville was eventually forced to exit the YSL RICO case amid calls for a mistrial. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker is now presiding over the trial.
