Atlanta rapper Cash Out gets life sentence after RICO, sex trafficking conviction
Rapper Cash Out, whose real name is John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years on Monday after being found guilty in his RICO and sex trafficking case.
On Friday, the 34-year-old artist received a guilty verdict in an Atlanta court. According to WSB-TV Atlanta , the life sentence plus 70 years will run concurrently. His mother, Linda Smith, was sentenced to 30 years, and his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years.
Gibson is known for his 2014 platinum hit 'Cashin' Out' and 'She Twerkin.' He released one studio album in 2014, 'Let's Get It,' and six mixtapes.
Advertisement
His career was stalled when he was arrested in a Georgia prostitution sting in June 2019.
The trial, which began this past June, brought forth allegations that Gibson, his cousin and his mother had forced women into sex work. When they operated the 'house of horrors,' they were also said to have coordinated the sale of women and the corresponding payments. Prosecutors presented text messages from eight different phones as evidence.
'This has been going on for seven years,' Fulton County prosecutor Earnelle Winfrey said to the Atlanta courtroom on Friday. 'This ain't just straight pimping — this is trafficking.'
She added that though they were 'pimping, for sure,' it was the 'force and cohesion' of the operation that made it trafficking.
Advertisement
Gibson first faced charges in June 2023. His legal team claimed that victims were pushed to testify. In closing arguments, his team argued that the women involved were not forced.
His mother claimed that she was unaware of the trafficking, but prosecutors cited payment receipts linking her to the offenses. This included a leased residence where some of the victims were said to be housed. Additionally, witnesses claimed that Smith had engaged in prostitution herself.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Jury finds 2 men guilty in connection with federal crackdown on Minneapolis' Highs gang
A jury found two men guilty in connection with a federal crackdown involving dozens of members of a major gang in Minneapolis, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced Tuesday. Cortez Blakemore, 35, and Robert Lesure, 23, were both convicted of racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Their sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Court documents say Blakemore and Lesure were prolific drug traffickers for the Highs street gang, selling fentanyl at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale in north Minneapolis. Prosecutors allege the Highs have "long wreaked havoc" on Minneapolis' north side, selling deadly drugs and "enforcing its territory" through violence, kidnapping and murder, including the deaths of innocent civilians. "These convictions bring justice not just to the victims of the Highs gang, but to an entire community that has endured years of violence, fear, and loss," Thompson said. "For too long, this gang terrorized Minneapolis, maintaining control through chaos. Today, the people of this city get something they've long been denied: peace." Forty members of the Highs gang were charged in the crackdown, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Blakemore and Lesure are the 37th and 38th defendants to be convicted. The last defendant's trial is scheduled for next year.
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Atlanta rapper Cash Out gets life sentence after RICO, sex trafficking conviction
The trial, which began in June, alleged that Cash Out and his family members had forced women into sex work. Rapper Cash Out, whose real name is John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years on Monday after being found guilty in his RICO and sex trafficking case. On Friday, the 34-year-old artist received a guilty verdict in an Atlanta court. According to WSB-TV Atlanta , the life sentence plus 70 years will run concurrently. His mother, Linda Smith, was sentenced to 30 years, and his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years. Gibson is known for his 2014 platinum hit 'Cashin' Out' and 'She Twerkin.' He released one studio album in 2014, 'Let's Get It,' and six mixtapes. Advertisement His career was stalled when he was arrested in a Georgia prostitution sting in June 2019. The trial, which began this past June, brought forth allegations that Gibson, his cousin and his mother had forced women into sex work. When they operated the 'house of horrors,' they were also said to have coordinated the sale of women and the corresponding payments. Prosecutors presented text messages from eight different phones as evidence. 'This has been going on for seven years,' Fulton County prosecutor Earnelle Winfrey said to the Atlanta courtroom on Friday. 'This ain't just straight pimping — this is trafficking.' She added that though they were 'pimping, for sure,' it was the 'force and cohesion' of the operation that made it trafficking. Advertisement Gibson first faced charges in June 2023. His legal team claimed that victims were pushed to testify. In closing arguments, his team argued that the women involved were not forced. His mother claimed that she was unaware of the trafficking, but prosecutors cited payment receipts linking her to the offenses. This included a leased residence where some of the victims were said to be housed. Additionally, witnesses claimed that Smith had engaged in prostitution herself.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Bomb-sniffing NYPD K-9s, handlers honored at French consulate for beefing up Paris Olympics security
It's nothing short of a grand prix. Four NYPD officers and their bomb-sniffing canine partners were honored for their service safeguarding the Paris Olympics at a ceremony at the French consulate in Manhattan Monday afternoon. Police Officers Rafael De La Cruz and Michael Fenimore and Detectives Nick Valez and Andrew Barron — and their hero dogs Davie, Gunner, Rico and Vito — received distinctive service awards at the Upper East Side delegation commemorating their service protecting last summer's international games. Advertisement 4 Michael Finamore and his dog Gunner (who passed away), Andrew Barron and his dog Vito, Nicholas Velez and his dog Rico and Rafael De La Cruz and his dog Davie received awards. James Messerschmidt The K-9 teams were tasked with patrolling the Paris Games' grounds and keeping a nose out for bombs, consulate reps said. 'The challenges were enormous in Paris last summer to ensure the safety of 15,000 athletes, 45,000 volunteers, and overall, 11 million spectators,' Consul General Céderik Fouriscot said to the officers. Advertisement 'The Paris game went off perfectly, and I want to say that you are an integral part of this success.' The massive undertaking to host the Olympics required French authorities to call on foreign law enforcement. 4 The K-9 teams were tasked with patrolling the Paris Games' grounds and keeping a nose out for bombs. Instagram/@k_9_gunner French authorities' liaison to the NYPD Police Commander Jean-François Meunier noted the host country 'asked especially for dogs because we didn't have enough dogs to cover all the Olympic sites.' Advertisement The NYPD officers and their dogs are specially trained to locate bombs, with K-9s assigned the critical duty of sniffing out chemicals associated with explosives. 'We take the odor and tie it to a toy, like a ball, and it's just repetition. The odor is just different chemical explosives,' said honoree Valez, 52, who has since retired from the force — as well as his K-9 Rico. 4 The massive undertaking to host the Olympics required French authorities to call on foreign law enforcement. James Messerschmidt Absent from the ceremony was Fenimore's dog, Gunner, who died in February. Advertisement Fenimore, who has since moved from the NYPD to the Clarkstown Police Department in Rockland County, said the loss of his four-legged friend deeply affected him. 'He was a perfectly healthy German Shepherd. Got blood cancer and was gone in three months. It's been brutal. He was my buddy for six years. He was the greatest dog. He was my life,' Fenimore said. 4 The NYPD officers and their dogs are specially trained to locate bombs. Instagram/@k_9_gunner Paris is one of five overseas posts the NYPD outsources assistance to, in addition to London, Madrid, INTERPOL and EUROPOL. 'It's operational exchange, information sharing. Share best practices and this is done on a daily basis,' Detective Nicolas Gouzien, the NYPD's liaison to Paris and Monaco said. 'This is a great inflection point in our relationship between NYPD and French law enforcement. This was an opportunity to showcase specialty capabilities that the NYPD has and the whole world was watching our canines protect the games in an incredibly complex threat environment,' Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner said. 'It was a tremendous honor and opportunity for the NYPD.'
