American Rapper, Sergio Giavanni Kitchens known by his stage name Gunna, is set to be released from prison after a plea deal.
Gunna alongside other YSL (Young Stoner Life) associates including Young Thug, were accused of committing street gang criminal activity, ranging from drug possession and armed robbery to attempted murder and aggravated assault.
He has been behind bars since mid-May facing a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charged with conspiracy to violate the act.
The rapper pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to violate the Act but accepted an Alford plea, meaning he has pleaded guilty but maintains his innocence.
READ ALSO: Police Arrest 100 Fans In Brussels After Morocco World Cup Defeat
The plea allows him to bypass the uncertainties of a trial and avoid a much more severe sentencing in the long run.
In his statement, the rapper revealed that he has no interest in the trial and did not agree to be a witness in it.
His statement read, “When I became affiliated with YSL in 2016, I did not consider it a ‘gang’; more like a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations,” Gunna wrote in a statement provided to Complex.
“My focus of YSL was entertainment – rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and ‘glorified’ urban life in the Black community. While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
He continued, “I have chosen to end my own RICO case with an Alford plea and end my personal ordeal by publicly acknowledging my association with YSL. An Alford plea in my case is the entry of a guilty plea to the one charge against me, which is in my best interest, while at the same time maintaining my innocence toward the same charge. I love and cherish my association with YSL music, and always will. I look at this as an opportunity to give back to my community and educate young men and women that “gangs” and violence only lead to destruction.”