Rapper Young Thug has turned himself in to Georgia police after they issued a warrant for eight felony charges related to a 2017 traffic arrest in which police claimed they found a slew of narcotics.
The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, turned himself in to the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Department this week, Rolling Stone reported. He was charged with five violations of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, stemming from a traffic stop for tinted windows on his Mercedes-Benz Maybach, the report added.
At the stop, police claimed they found methamphetamine, hydrocodone, and marijuana in the car in quantities with the intent to sell as well as generic Xanax, codeine, $50,000 in cash, and an illegal firearm. As XXL noted, Georgia is known for its strict drug laws where possession of even small amounts of marijuana can carry harsh sentences.
“In the state of Georgia, possession of more than one ounce of marijuana carries a mandatory sentence of one year in jail, and up to ten years in prison, so it’s very possible that Thug could serve serious time if convicted for the charges he’s currently facing,” the report noted.
The report added that many who have worked with Young Thug are speaking up on his behalf, including longtime mix engineer and friend Alex Tumay. He updated followers on Instagram this week, taking in supportive messages from fans and letting them know that Young Thug appreciated their kind words.
“We see all the support for Jeff,” he said. “Free him.”
Other fans offered their support on social media, believing that the arrest was unnecessary and calling on police to release him.
The arrest comes at a difficult time for the rapper, who is currently on tour with J. Cole and had been teasing the release of a new album, On The Run . It was not clear if the arrest would prevent him from re-joining the tour, but he will miss at least a few dates. The pair were scheduled to appear in Arkansas on Wednesday and Alabama on Thursday. In all, there are 11 more tour days in September alone, with the tour scheduled to move to Canada in mid-October. Reports did not note whether Young Thug would be able to leave the country if he were to be released.
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Young Thug was expected to be in court on Thursday to answer to the charges, HotNewHipHop reported. Prosecutors had asked to hold him without bond, the report added.
