Rapper Ca$h Out was once an up and coming star in his hometown of Atlanta. Now, he’s making headlines once again after a shocking trial exposed the criminal enterprise he ran with the help of his mother and cousin.
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Ca$h Out — real name John Michael Hakeem Gibson — first rose to fame in Atlanta over a decade ago. With songs like “She Twerkin” in 2014 and “Cashin’ Out” in 2012, many in the city thought he would become as big as other Atlanta rappers like Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan.
Fourteen years after his breakout hit, however, Gibson landed himself in the middle of a historic racketeering case in Atlanta.
The two-month long trial ended on July 18 with Gibson being found guilty on charges including rape, aggravated sodomy and violating the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations). His mother, Linda Smith, and his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, were also convicted in connection to the case, reports say.
Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Gibson was the leader of a criminal enterprise which led to crimes including rape and trafficking, 11 Alive reported. Smith and Taylor were found guilty of running a business which lured victims into prostitution. The case was re-indicted in 2023.
“Although now administratively dissolved, Cash Out used PMG (Pyrex Music Group, LLC), along with this brand name ‘Cash Out,’ to promote his music and the ‘Cash Out’ brand, and through the use of deception and then coercion, enticed and recruited women from social media platforms to engage in commercial sexual activity,” the re-indictment reads.
On the flip side, Gibson’s attorney claimed many testimonies against the 34-year-old were inconsistent and that the charges Gibson faced were “overblown.” Attorney Careton Matthews said after the verdict, “We do respect the court’s process and jury’s decision, however we’re disappointed with the verdict and the sentence.” He continued, “He maintains his innocence on many of these charges and may file an appeal or a motion for a new trial.”
Gibson was also convicted of pimping, pandering, battery, possession of a firearm during commission of felony, two counts of trafficking a person, keeping a place of prostitution and other crimes, Fulton County media relations director Pallavi Bailey confirmed. In total, Gibson was sentenced to life plus 70 years.
Several victims and witnesses testified during the trial. One woman said, “The day these defendants chose to commit these crimes against me, they gave me a life sentence.” She alleged both Gibson and Taylor raped her, according to WSB-TV.
Taylor was sentenced to the same sentence as his cousin. Gibson’s mother, Smith, was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for her role in the criminal enterprise. All three defendants maintained their innocence. “The things I’ve been accused of, I know I haven’t done those things,” Gibson said.
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