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Atlanta prosecutors filed a motion on Wednesday to revoke the probation of the rapper Young Thug, born Jeffery Williams, citing a post on social media that referred to a local gang investigator as the \u201cBiggest liar in the DA office.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the filing in Fulton County court by the district attorney Fani T. Willis, Mr. Williams \u201chas engaged in conduct that directly threatens the safety of witnesses and prosecutors, compromises ongoing legal proceedings, and warrants immediate revocation of probation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Williams, 33, pleaded guilty<\/a> late last year to participation in criminal street gang activity, in addition to drug and weapons charges, ending his role in a sprawling racketeering trial that became the longest criminal proceeding in Georgia history. (The two of the six original defendants in the trial who refused plea deals were found not guilty<\/a> of murder and conspiracy to violate the RICO act.)<\/p>\n At the judge\u2019s discretion, Mr. Williams, who had faced up to 120 years in prison if convicted, was sentenced to time served and 15 years of probation, with an additional 20 years of prison time possible if he violated the agreement. The strict terms of the probation barred Mr. Williams from metro Atlanta for 10 years; required him to undergo random searches and drug tests; and instructed him to refrain from promoting any gangs or associating with known members, potentially complicating his career as a touring rapper<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In response to the filing by prosecutors on Wednesday, a lawyer for Mr. Williams, Brian Steel, said in a statement: \u201cThis motion is baseless. While intimidation and threats of violence are never appropriate, Jeffery Williams has done nothing wrong. We look forward to seeking a dismissal of this petition.\u201d<\/p>\n The motion followed a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Mr. Williams on Tuesday that included a photo of the Fulton County investigator Marissa Viverito, who had served as a witness during Mr. Williams\u2019s trial and had recently been testifying in a preliminary hearing in a separate gang murder case involving multiple defendants. The court had ordered that Ms. Viverito not be shown on video while testifying.<\/p>\n In addition to the post calling Ms. Viverito a \u201cliar,\u201d Mr. Williams had reposted a fan account showing additional photos of the investigator with the caption: \u201call my homies hate Viverito.\u201d Both posts have since been deleted.<\/p>\n Prosecutors said the posts led to \u201cthousands of comments and retweets, many of which included direct threats to Investigator Viverito and her family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not an isolated incident \u2014 it is part of a calculated campaign of intimidation, harassment, and misinformation designed to undermine the legal process,\u201d the district attorney\u2019s office said in its filing, though it did not cite additional specifics. \u201cThis ongoing manipulation of public perception through social media is intended to obstruct justice, silence witnesses, and threaten those who enforce the law.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Ms. Willis, the district attorney, said in a local news interview<\/a> that threats to law enforcement are \u201call part of gang activity.\u201d<\/p>\n