Young Thug, YSL RICO Trial: Quindarrius Zachary takes the stand

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The witness in the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial, who was arrested last week after prosecutors feared he would not appear in court, has finally taken the stand.

Quindarius Zachary, also known as Lil' D or D, was arrested last Friday as he left a local medical facility, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.

Earlier this week, Zachary’s attorney, Dennis Scheib, asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to release his client from Fulton County Jail due to health issues. Scheib warned the judge that his client could die if he remained in jail.

Scheib explained that Zachary suffers from sickle cell disease and has been hospitalized for blood transfusions multiple times over the past few months.

Zachary has been mentioned several times during the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial. Antonio "Mounk Tounk" Sledge recently testified that Zachary was involved in a 2015 drive-by shooting with Damekion Garlington.

Before Zachary took the stand on Friday, his lawyer informed Judge Whitaker that Zachary was on medication and claimed he couldn’t remember anything. Attorney Max Schardt added that it would be unreasonable to call a witness in that condition. Judge Whitaker responded that the prosecution had been aware of Zachary's possible medicated state for some time and should be prepared.

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Following a consultation with Zachary’s doctor, he eventually took the stand.

Initially, Zachary denied recognizing anyone in the courtroom but later admitted that he had known Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, for about 15 years.

The prosecution began by questioning Zachary about social media posts and then addressed his previous convictions for gun possession.

They also asked him about cars rented by Williams. Zachary indicated he understood what the state was implying.

He testified that he had been in the car reportedly used the night before the murder of Donovan "Nut" Thomas, riding with Kenneth "Lil Woody" Copeland. However, Zachary stated that the only person he ever saw in the car was Copeland.

As the questioning continued, attorney Max Schardt accused Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love of confusing the witness and moved for a mistrial.

Judge Whitaker didn't initially grant the mistrial, but she did lecture Love and told her that when she gave an order, she expected Love to follow it. When Schardt continued to press for a mistrial, Judge Whitaker said she would need to review the video.

After a break, Judge Whitaker formally denied the motion for mistrial, saying she did not think Love was trying to do anything nefarious. She also said she would not be explaining anything to the jury. After her ruling, attorney Max Schardt said that even though he accepts the court's finding, he still thinks Prosecutor Love still should be required to clarify whom she was talking about when she was questioning the witness so that the jury and the witness were not left confused. After reading the transcript, Judge Whitaker said she didn't think Zachary was confused.

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.