Young Thug, YSL RICO trial: Defense wants to prove that Copeland was pressured by the state

ATLANTA – Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland returned to the witness stand Wednesday morning as the trial of Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, continued. During his testimony, Young Thug's attorney Brian Steel presented new evidence, including a series of recorded phone calls Copeland made from Fayette County Jail in February 2023.

In these recordings, Copeland admitted that he had fabricated information to manipulate his way out of prison. He acknowledged that he had attempted to “outsmart” authorities by making false claims, particularly about Young Thug. Copeland also revealed that prosecutors had visited him in prison and he told them at the time that he had lied during police interviews in 2015.

Copeland further testified that he was convinced that prosecutors posted an interrogation video on the Internet, damaging his reputation and putting his family in danger.

RELATED: Young Thug, YSL RICO trial: Kenneth Copeland believes state released video

After Brian Steel finished his questioning, Doug Weinstein, representing Yak Gotti, took over.

During Weinstein's cross-examination, Copeland admitted to acting like a “jerk” in the past and testified that he would say anything to avoid being sent back to Fulton County Jail, which he described as “the worst place in the world.” Weinstein highlighted Copeland's recent interviews in which he claimed to have become more religious and turned to God. Copeland insisted that he now speaks “God's pure truth” on the witness stand.

Weinstein concluded his questioning by emphasizing that the state had called Copeland as a witness despite his repeated admissions to lying in previous interviews. Copeland reiterated that he lied to police about Young Thug, Shannon Stillwell and others in 2015 in hopes of avoiding further incarceration.

After Weinstein's testimony, attorney Careton Matthews briefly questioned Copeland about a photo posted on social media showing him with another defendant, Marquavius ​​Huey. After Matthews finished, attorney Max Schardt began his cross-examination, focusing on the inconsistencies in Copeland's statements over the years. Schardt also questioned Copeland about his interactions with prosecutors and his motivations for lying during previous interrogations.

During his testimony, Copeland repeatedly admitted to fabricating information to manipulate police. Schardt tried to show the jury that Copeland's desperation to avoid prison may have influenced his statements about other defendants.

Throughout the day, Schardt questioned Copeland about the timeline of events surrounding the murder of Donovan Thomas, also known as “Nut,” as well as his involvement in other criminal activities, including a shooting at Rich Homie Quan's father's barbershop. However, Copeland was unwilling to answer questions about those incidents.

Young Thug and 27 others were indicted in 2022 for violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law and committing multiple violent crimes. After the longest jury selection in history (10 months), the trial of 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 crimes, including murder. Defendants claim 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 was plagued by various disruptions, including illness, the arrest of a juror and an attorney, the stabbing of defendant Shannon Stillwell, the removal of the judge originally assigned to the case, and more.