SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Rapper Young Thug is facing more charges a day after federal agents raided his Sandy Springs home.
Sandy Springs police and U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force serving an arrest warrant searched Jeffery Williams', AKA Young Thug, house in relation to a terroristic threat charge. Investigators say he threatened to shoot a Perimeter Mall security guard.
Sandy Springs police charged the 22-year-old with multiple felonies, including drug and weapons charges.
Williams is currently being held at the DeKalb County Jail.
A judge will decide whether to grant bond for Williams later Friday.
Indictment claims Young Thug involved in conspiracy to kill Lil Wayne
Channel 2 Action News has uncovered an indictment filed in Cobb County in June that alleges Williams and another rapper named Bryan Williams, aka Birdman, were involved in a RICO conspiracy to kill Lil Wayne when his tour bus was shot up in April.
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The indictment also says all of the men are members of the Bloods gang.
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The indictment alleges that Dwayne Carter (Lil Wayne) and Bryan Williams (Birdman) had a business dispute concerning Lil Wayne's contract with Cash Money Records. Lil Wayne owns a portion of the record label. Birdman is one of the co-founders of the record label.
Lil Wayne later dismissed the lawsuit “due to venue issues while problems continued between (Lil Wayne) and (Birdman).”
The indictment says Young Thug sided with Birdman in the contract dispute. Because of the dispute, Lil Wayne's latest album, "The Carter V," has yet to be released.
“(Young Thug) released the next album in the Carter series but changed the name to "Barter VI" by changing the ‘C’ to a ‘B,’” the indictment says.
The indictment alleges that Young Thug made a threat against Lil Wayne and tour bus shooting suspect Jimmy Winfrey carried out that threat.
Winfrey is also known as "PeeWee Roscoe" and affiliated with Rich Gang. Birdman is a part of the Rich Gang rap group which was formed by Cash Money Records in 2013.
The indictment goes on to say that Winfrey was driving the white Chevy Camaro that fired shots at Lil Wayne’s tour buses the night of April 26 after a police escort left the buses.
“After Atlanta Police discontinued their escort, (Winfrey) and fellow Blood Gang members entered Interstate 285 from Atlanta Road in Cobb County in pursuit of the buses occupied by (Lil Wayne’s) group,” the indictment says. “(That’s when) the white sports car pulled beside the buses, shots were then fired into the buses from the sports car with a .40 caliber handgun and a 9mm handgun.”
The indictment goes on to say Winfrey had a photo of the Camaro posted on his Instagram account and attempted to erase it following the shooting. The Camaro was later found at the home of one of Winfrey’s relatives.
Young Thug and Birdman have not been charged in the incident.
Winfrey’s next court appearance is Friday.
Winfrey’s Attorneys Want Charges Dropped
Thursday, records obtained by Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik show that attorneys for Young Thug’s road manager, Jimmy Winfrey, have filed motions asking a judge to dismiss the racketeering charges.
“The state has chosen to dramatize the matter,” they wrote of a June indictment that accuses Winfrey of acting “in conjunction with Jeffrey Williams (aka Young Thug) and Bryan Williams (aka Birdman)” in the shooting of Lil Wayne’s tour buses in April.
Prosecutors allege Winfrey appears holding an assault rifle in a Young Thug music video entitled “Halftime,” and allege the lyrics reference attacking Lil Wayne.
“Interestingly, the music video was not released until 6/8/15, which is nearly two months after the ‘shooting’ and nearly a week after Mr. Winfrey had turned himself in to authorities. Further, the Defendant did not say or sing anything on this music video. Lastly, there is no allegation that any of the purported victims of the Terroristic Threats ever saw this video or felt terrorized after seeing said video,” the motion reads.
The motion also claims prosecutors misinterpreted the lyrics, and that they make no threat to harm Lil Wayne.
“The lyrics mix past and present tenses, but the future tense is not involved. The speaker's identity is unclear. Since ‘Halftime’ does not make any statements about what Jeffrey Williams is going to do in the future, it cannot be a threat.”
Winfrey’s attorneys also argue prosecutors are engaging in “selective prosecution,” by singling out their client but not bringing charges against either Birdman or Young Thug.
“Bryan Williams made threats to shoot Dwayne Carter on his Instagram account five days prior to the shooting,” the motion claims. “Likewise, Jeffrey Williams had issues with Dwayne Carter. Jeffrey Williams made threats to shoot Dwayne Carter on a music video prior to the shooting.”
The motions claim their actions make them “parties to the crime.”
“The State has, nevertheless, failed to charge Bryan Williams and Jeffrey Williams, and this action is without any reasonable explanation,” they wrote.
The Cobb County District Attorney's office told Channel 2 Action News it is too early to say whether anyone else will be charged.
WSBTV