Jeffery Williams, the US rapper better known as Young Thug, was released from prison on Thursday evening after pleading guilty to gang, drug, and gun charges.
The 33-year-old Grammy winner had been jailed since his arrest in May 2022 on charges related to leading an alleged street gang, Young Slime Life (YSL).
Members of YSL were accused of committing illegal and violent acts, including murder, armed robbery, drug dealing, and carjacking.
During his trial in the state of Georgia, prosecutors recommended a 45-year sentence, including 25 years in prison and 20 years of probation for the rapper.
But at the resumption of his hearing on Thursday, Young Thug entered a no-contest plea to the racketeering conspiracy and a separate gang charge.
“I take full responsibility for my crimes, for my charges. To really everybody that has got something to do with this situation, I want to say sorry,” he told the court.
The rapper also referred to himself as “a good guy with a good heart who found himself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice or cool”.
“And I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad… and it could fall on you.”
Paige Whitaker, the Georgia superior court judge, sentenced him to 40 years which would have forced him to serve five years in prison, but she commuted it to time served.
In addition, he must complete 15 years of probation, which can result in 20 years to be served in custody if probation is not successful.
The judge also ruled that Young Thug would be required to stay away from metro Atlanta for the first 10 years of his probation, barring certain exceptions; take random drug tests; make anti-gang presentations to groups of children four times annually and perform 100 hours of community service per year while on probation.
He was also ordered to refrain from promoting gangs or being around known gang members, excluding his brother, Quintavis Grier (the rapper Unfoonk), and Sergio Kitchens, known as Gunna.
He was released Thursday night, according to Fulton County jail records.
Young Thug racketeering case is regarded as one of the longest-running criminal trials in Georgia state history.