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Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial: Antonio 'Mounk Tounk' Sledge has 5 years of probation revoked

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  October 19, 2024 12:02am EDT
YSL Trial
FOX 5 Atlanta

YSL: Sledge has 5 years of probation revoked

Antonio Sledge, known as Mounk Tounk, had his probation revoked for not testifying truthfully, leading to immediate custody despite his plea for time to arrange his affairs.

The Brief

    • Antonio Sledge, known as Mounk Tounk, had his probation revoked for not testifying truthfully, leading to immediate custody despite his plea for time to arrange his affairs.
    • Judge Paige Reese Whitaker found that Sledge did not have "a proper regard for the judicial system," despite acknowledging his efforts to avoid trouble.
    • Sledge had over 27 years of probation remaining when the revocation occurred due to contradictions in his testimony, which went against his plea agreement.
    • During his testimony regarding a 2015 murder, Sledge was uncooperative and admitted to previous dishonest statements.
    • Sledge claimed he felt pressured into accepting the plea deal due to personal circumstances and financial constraints, and his attorney argued that a key statement should have been omitted.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Former YSL co-defendant Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk, has had five years of his probation revoked after it was found that he did not testify truthfully.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker was sympathetic to Sledge, whom she says has been trying hard to stay out of trouble, but added that she found "there is not a proper regard for the judicial system" in his testimony.

YSL: Antonio Sledge has 5 years of probation revoked

Antonio Sledge, known as Mounk Tounk, had his probation revoked for not testifying truthfully, leading to immediate custody despite his plea for time to arrange his affairs.

Sledge was taken into custody immediately, despite his request for time to surrender in order to get his affairs in order. "I think y'all knew when you came in here that this was a strong possibility this might happen," Judge Whitaker said, denying the attorney's request.

She added, "I hope this revocation has not set you back," once again noting his behavior since being placed on probation.

Former YSL co-defendant Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk, was taken into custody following a hearing in a Fulton County courtroom on Oct. 18, 2024.

Former YSL co-defendant Antonio Sledge, also known as Mounk Tounk, was taken into custody following a hearing in a Fulton County courtroom on Oct. 18, 2024.

Sledge had 27 years, 7 months, and 8 days left on his probation prior to this ruling.

In a motion filed by the DA’s office, prosecutors claim Sledge "knowingly and willfully" contradicted key elements of his 2022 plea agreement while on the stand last month. The plea deal required him to acknowledge 16 factual statements and testify for the state.

PREVIOUS STORY: Young Thug YSL RICO trial: Antonio 'Mounk Tounk' Sledge returns to stand

During his testimony, Sledge was uncooperative, repeatedly responding, "I don’t recall," to questions regarding the events surrounding the 2015 murder of Donovan "Nut" Thomas. He also admitted to lying previously. At one point, he told Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love to stop yelling at him "like [he] was her child" and asserted he was not afraid of her.

Sledge’s attorney, Derek Wright, additionally told the court that one of the statements in the plea deal, which claimed Sledge knew YSL associates were involved in Thomas’s murder, was supposed to be removed but was mistakenly included when Sledge signed the agreement.

Sledge told the court that when he accepted the plea, his mother was ill, he was responsible for eight children, and he couldn’t afford a lawyer, adding that he felt pressured to take the deal.

As part of the agreement, Sledge received 15 years of probation for his alleged involvement in gang activity. The state is now asking for Sledge to be sent to prison for the maximum time allowed. 

EARLIER STORY

A former detective who investigated Atlanta rapper Young Thug and others was disqualified from serving as a witness in the musician’s extensive gang and racketeering trial on Thursday. 

Former Atlanta police detective Ty Dennis had been testifying for hours when he mentioned that one of the defendants, Deamonte Kendrick, had been released from jail. At the time, the prosecution was questioning Dennis about Kendrick standing on the hood of a luxury vehicle owned by rapper and alleged rival gang member YFN Lucci.

The remark prompted Kendrick's attorney, Doug Weinstein, to call for a mistrial.

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker excused Dennis from the stand and informed both the prosecution and defense that he would not be permitted to testify again. She also ordered that his testimony and all associated exhibits be stricken from the record.

Whitaker noted that she would have granted the mistrial request if not for the fact that one of Kendrick’s charges referenced a prior conviction in the indictment.

Late Thursday night, the state filed a motion requesting the judge reconsider her oral order to strike Dennis’s entire testimony. While the state agreed with striking the specific comment about Kendrick, it argued that excluding the entire testimony and related exhibits was "improper."

Brian Steel, the lead attorney for Young Thug (whose legal name is Jeffery Williams), addressed the state’s motion in court on Friday morning. Steel argued that the motion did not align with "reality" and expressed his readiness to argue against it. However, Judge Whitaker instructed him to submit his response in writing by Monday.

Young Thug and 27 others were indicted in 2022 for violating Georgia's RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law and committing multiple violent crimes. Following the longest jury selection in history (10 months), the trial for Young Thug and several co-defendants began in November 2023. It is now the longest trial in Georgia history. Prosecutors are attempting to prove that YSL (Young Slime Life) is a criminal street gang responsible for numerous offenses, including murder. The defendants maintain that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is the name of a record label founded by Young Thug. Young Thug is facing eight criminal charges. The trial has been plagued by various disruptions, including illnesses, the arrests of a juror and a lawyer, the stabbing of defendant Shannon Stillwell, the removal of the judge originally assigned to the case, and more.