The YSL RICO Trial Ends With Surprising Verdicts!

The rollercoaster ride of the YSL RICO trial has finally come to an end, with the jury dropping the final verdicts for the last two defendants: Deamonte "Yak Gotti" Kendrick and Shannon Stillwell. After a tense four days of deliberation, we got some twists that nobody saw coming.

On Tuesday, December 3rd, the jury wrapped it all up. They found Yak Gotti not guilty on all charges. Yes, you read that right. After facing serious allegations including murder and violating Georgia's notorious RICO Act, the jury decided there wasn’t enough to convict him. He walked free, no charges sticking. On the flip side, Shannon Stillwell was convicted of a single charge of firearm possession. The man’s got a history, but it’s only one charge this time around. And since he’s been in jail for a while already, he got hit with a sentence of time served. So, that’s that for him.

Let’s rewind a bit to what this trial was all about. Both Yak Gotti and Stillwell were wrapped up in some heavy charges, including the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas. Yak Gotti’s list of charges was extensive — murder, drug trafficking, illegal weapons possession, all under the RICO umbrella. Stillwell, too, was initially facing two murder charges, RICO violations, and a bunch of gun and drug charges. But after everything was said and done, it’s a much lighter picture than people expected.

The drama didn’t stop when the jury left the courtroom. Yak Gotti, already facing an uphill battle, was stabbed during a jail altercation just two days before the verdict on December 1st. Not a good look. Stillwell, too, got a taste of jailhouse violence last year, stabbed in a separate incident. These men have seen the inside of a cell more than most, but it seems like fate wasn’t on Stillwell’s side in the same way it was for Gotti.

When the YSL RICO indictment dropped in May 2022, it was a full squad of 28 defendants. Fast forward to November 2023, and only six were left standing, including Young Thug, Stillwell, and Kendrick. And trust me, this trial wasn’t your average court drama. This thing dragged on for months, turning into the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history. Talk about a marathon, not a sprint.

Speaking of Young Thug, he’s already taken his plea deal. In late November, Thugger pled guilty to participating in a criminal street gang and a laundry list of gun and drug charges. The result? A 40-year sentence, but with a major twist: he’ll serve just 5 years and then be on probation for the next 15. The remaining 20 years will be backloaded, so he won’t be locked up for the full 40 — but it’s still a massive blow.

This YSL RICO case has been one for the history books. Some are celebrating Yak Gotti’s victory, while others are still reeling from the way the system handled the rest. What’s next for this infamous crew remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure — the saga of YSL is far from over.