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Atlanta rapper Cash Out gets life sentence after RICO, sex trafficking conviction

BBG News

On Monday, rap artist John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, professionally known as Cash Out, received a sentence of life imprisonment along with an additional 70 years, following his conviction in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) case involving sex trafficking.

On Friday, I stood in an Atlanta court as a supporter of the 34-year-old artist, who faced a trial. As reported by WSB-TV Atlanta, he was handed down a guilty verdict, which consists of a life sentence concurrently running alongside 70 additional years. His mother, Linda Smith, received a 30-year sentence, while his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 70 years attached.

Known for his 2014 chart-topping singles “Cashin’ Out” and “She Twerkin”, Gibson launched a studio album titled “Let’s Get It” in the same year, along with six mixtapes.

His career was stalled when he was arrested in a Georgia prostitution sting in June 2019.

The trial that commenced in June this year revealed accusations that Gibson, his cousin, and his mother compelled women into prostitution. It was further claimed that when they ran the “abusive household,” they arranged for the sale of these women and managed the related transactions. Text messages from eight distinct phones were presented as proof by the prosecution.

For over seven years, as stated by Fulton County prosecutor Earnelle Winfrey in the Atlanta courtroom on Friday, it’s not merely prostitution; rather, it involves human trafficking.

She pointed out that even though they were clearly involved in soliciting or procuring, it was the organized and united nature of their actions that transformed it into human trafficking.

Initially, Gibson was confronted with accusations in June 2023. His defense asserted that the accusers were persuaded rather than compelled to speak up. During their final statements, they maintained that no coercion was used against the women who were part of the case.

It was argued by the authorities that while she asserted ignorance about trafficking, there were financial records showing her involvement in the crimes. These documents also pointed to a rented property where some of the victims allegedly lived. Furthermore, testimonies suggested that she had participated in sex work herself.

On Friday, Winfrey informed the jury that the focus should not be on the actions of the victims in a sex trafficking case, but rather on the actions taken by the perpetrators.

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2025-07-23 01:01

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