Defendant who communicated with Fulton deputy on Instagram gets case severed from YSL trial

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — One of the defendants in the Young Slime Life trial will have his case severed after a conflict of interest with his attorney.

Christian Eppinger is one of more than two dozen people charged in a sweeping gang indictment involving alleged members of YSL. On Thursday, a judge agreed to sever his case because his attorney, Eric Johnson, is now named in new warrants related to a deputy’s arrest last week.

With Eppinger’s severance from the trial, what began as a trial with 14 defendants is down to just eight.

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Channel 2′s Michael Seiden learned that Fulton County Deputy Akeiba Stanley was booked into jail Friday on charges of reckless conduct, violation of oath of office, conspiracy to commit a felony and hindering apprehension or punishment of a criminal, according to jail records.

Stanley is accused of visiting Eppinger’s cell, communicating with him on Instagram via an illegal cellphone and tried to bring him things from a relative.

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Before her arrest, investigators seized Johnson’s laptop, alleging that his client had been spotted browsing Instagram during the court proceedings.

Defendants are allowed to use their attorney’s laptops during the jury selection process, but only to review discovery from the case.

Prosecutors said in court that new warrants taken out on Thursday morning list Johnson as a co-conspirator. Deputies have a search warrant for the same laptop that was returned to Johnson on Tuesday in an evidence bag.

Judge Ural Glanville ruled in favor of the state’s motion to sever the case and told Johnson to return the laptop to his chambers by Friday morning. A hearing will be scheduled later this month.

Seiden reached out to Johnson for a comment, but did not hear back.

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