Rapper YFN Lucci Sentenced to Prison After Pleading Guilty to Gang Charge in Deal with Prosecutors

The rapper, born Rayshawn Bennett, was accused of murder, assault and racketeering in 2021 as part of a large indictment aimed toward alleged Blood gang members

YFN Lucci pleaded guilty to one gang-related charge in Atlanta on Tuesday as part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors, several outlets including Associated Press, The New York Times and CNN have reported.
The rapper, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, was accused of murder, assault and racketeering in 2021 as part of a large indictment, brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, aimed toward alleged Blood gang members. He turned himself in to authorities at the time and has remained in jail since.
Bennett’s plea deal, reached during jury selection, saw prosecutors drop 12 of 13 charges against him, his lawyers tell PEOPLE. He pleaded guilty to one count of violating Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

“After three years of pretrial litigation, more than two weeks of jury selection and three years of incarceration waiting for his jury trial, today, the prosecution finally relented and dismissed the murder and RICO charges against Rayshawn Bennett,” the rapper’s attorneys, Drew Findling, Gabe Banks and Marissa Goldberg, tell PEOPLE in a statement.
According to the NYT, Bennett agreed to serve 10 years in prison followed by another decade of probation. His lawyers tell PEOPLE he could be released much earlier, partially due to his time already spent in prison.

Willis’ office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Bennett’s case is related to the ongoing racketeering charges against Atlanta rap collective YSL, which were also brought on by Willis.
CNN reported that prosecutors claim his alleged Blood gang sector ran into conflict with the YSL group, who reportedly discussed seeking permission from rapper Young Thug to murder Bennett.

The legal team’s statement to PEOPLE continues, “As he has maintained for three years now, Mr. Bennett will NOT cooperate in any other case. By entering into this resolution, he will be eligible for parole in as early as four months from now.”
“The prosecution has also agreed that he should be released early on parole and this will allow him to get back to his children, family and career,” concludes the statement.

Since his 2014 debut, Bennett has earned a top-15 album on the Billboard 200 with 2018’s Ray Ray from Summerhill. He’s also scored three entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the singles “Key to the Streets” with Migos and Trouble, “Everyday We Lit” with PnB Rock and “Wet.”