Photo Credit: Ca$h Outs Instagram
John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, better known as rapper Ca$h Out, was found guilty on Friday and sentenced to life in prison for his rape charge. He was also sentenced to an additional 70 years for RICO and other convictions, with concurrent sentences.
His mother, Linda Smith, was also sentenced to 30 years on RICO charges. Additionally, his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, was given life in prison plus 70 years.
The Atlanta trial began two months ago, based on allegations that the rapper, his mother, and his cousin were involved in coercing women into sex work over a number of years. Prosecutors included evidence such as text messages from eight different cell phones to prove their assertion that Gibson and his family exploited women for profit.
Initially, charges were brought against Ca$h Out in June 2023. His legal team argued that his victims were bullied into testifying against him. But the prosecution stood firm. This has been going on for seven years, said Fulton County prosecutor Earnell Winfrey. This aint just pimpingthis is trafficking.
Over the seven weeks of testimony, jurors were tasked with reviewing the 46-count RICO indictment, filled with jail calls, cellphone records, and surveillance footage. These, according to the jury, painted a clear picture.
A juror who helped convict Gibson, his mother, and his cousin spoke to the press following the verdict and wished to remain anonymous. According to the juror, the decision to convict was not taken lightly.
We took copious notesyou may have seen us scribbling, said the juror. The states evidence was so compelling, and they had so much of it, they added. There was no swaying; we were very careful. We went count by count.
Im so sad, the juror said. Im sad for the victims, and Im sad for the defendants too.
That case rivals the recent Diddy conviction, where rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, the jurors in that case felt the prosecution did not present enough evidence to obtain a conviction on the sex trafficking and RICO charges.
