Young Thug has reportedly scored another major legal victory in his long-running YSL case, as a Fulton County judge has ordered the state of Georgia to return his seized cash, vehicles, and jewelry by a firm deadline. According to XXL, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker issued a final dismissal of the state’s appeal on Wednesday, Jan. 7, clearing the way for Young Thug — born Jeffery Williams — to reclaim property taken during the high-profile YSL RICO investigation in Atlanta.[5] FOX 5 Atlanta likewise reports that Georgia authorities must return the items by 5 p.m. on Jan. 9, with no further appeals allowed to delay the process.[6]
The property at issue includes approximately **$149,000 in cash**, assorted jewelry, and multiple luxury vehicles, including a Porsche and a Corvette, along with several other cars, according to court details cited by XXL and FOX 5 Atlanta.[5][6] This ruling stems from an earlier August decision, when Judge Whitaker dismissed a civil forfeiture lawsuit tied to the YSL case after finding that the state failed to hold a required hearing within the statutory deadline.[1][2][5] As reported by Law Commentary, Young Thug’s attorney Brian Steel argued that authorities had held his client’s assets since May 2022, when prosecutors first executed searches and brought sweeping charges against alleged members of the YSL collective.[2]
HotNewHipHop notes that prosecutors initially tried to retain roughly $150,000 in cash, various luxury vehicles, and expensive jewelry seized during the YSL RICO probe, but Judge Whitaker ruled that forfeiture laws must be strictly applied against the state and granted dismissal of the forfeiture case last August.[1][4] The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office then filed an appeal, reportedly hoping to keep the property, but Young Thug’s team moved to dismiss that appeal.[4][5] According to XXL, the judge’s latest ruling formally ends that challenge and orders the immediate return of the items by Jan. 9.[5]
This latest legal win arrives as one of hip-hop’s most closely watched cases continues to reshape Young Thug’s post-trial reality. The Atlanta rapper’s YSL case has drawn national scrutiny since his May 2022 arrest, with prosecutors alleging YSL was operating as a criminal organization under Georgia’s RICO statute.[2] Law Commentary reports that Young Thug entered a plea deal in October 2024, receiving time served and a lengthy probation term, allowing him to be released after more than two years behind bars.[2] The order forcing Georgia to return his seized assets marks a significant step in reclaiming his finances and personal property, and it may influence future conversations around civil forfeiture, artists’ rights, and how aggressively prosecutors can move against hip-hop figures in high-profile criminal cases.
