ATLANTA — An Atlanta rapper will learn his fate on Monday after being found guilty of RICO and rape.
The guilty verdict against rapper Ca$h Out, whose real name is John Gibson, was handed on down on Friday.
Gibson, his mother Linda Smith and his cousin Tyrone Taylor were all found guilty of RICO charges. Gibson was also found guilty of rape.
Over the course of the seven-week trial, jurors heard extensive testimony from alleged victims, law enforcement, and prosecutors who laid out what they called a “seven-year reign of terror.”
“This has been going on for seven years,” said Fulton County prosecutor Earnell Winfrey. “This ain’t just straight pimping—this is trafficking.”
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Winfrey told jurors that Gibson, along with his mother Linda Smith and cousin Tryone Taylor, ran what she described as a “house of horrors,” where women were allegedly coerced, deceived, and forced into sex work. She argued that the case goes beyond traditional pimping, emphasizing elements of force and coercion.
“Sure, they were pimping, for sure,” Winfrey said. “But force and cohesion is what makes it trafficking.”
Prosecutors presented evidence showing text messages between Gibson and his co-defendants coordinating the sale of women and how to collect payment. Eight cell phones were submitted into evidence, revealing what the prosecution described as the inner workings of the alleged operation.
During closing arguments, Gibson’s defense attorney countered that there was no evidence tying Gibson’s music career or record label to a trafficking enterprise. They argued the women involved were not forced.
Gibson’s mother’s defense team also claimed she was unaware of the trafficking activities. However, prosecutors pointed to payment receipts and property records linking Smith to the alleged operation, including a leased residence where some of the alleged victims were housed. Witnesses also testified that Smith was engaging in prostitution herself.
“It’s not about the victims’ actions in a sex trafficking case,” Winfrey told jurors. “It’s about what they did.”
The three are expected to be sentenced on Monday at 10 a.m. in Fulton County Superior Court.
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