Platinum-selling rapper Cash Out has been handed a life prison sentence after being found guilty of rape and racketeering.
The musician, 34, rose to fame in 2011 with his single Cashin’ Out, released under Epic Records and which peaked at number 36 on the US charts. He is also known for his debut album, Let’s Get It.
Real name John-Michael Hakeem Gibson, he appeared in court in Atlanta for his verdict last week.
Convicted of rape, he was then sentenced to life behind bars, as well as an additional 70 years under RICO (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act). These charges include racketeering, sex trafficking, firearm possession, and other related offences.
As per WSB-TV Atlanta, some of the sentences will be concurrent (at the same time) and others consecutive.
Gibson’s mother, Linda Smith, also received 30 years, 20 for racketeering and 10, served concurrently, for sex trafficking.
His cousin, Tyrone Taylor, was sentenced to life for aggravated sodomy and rape, plus 60 years for sex trafficking, assault, false imprisonment, and drug possession.
All three will be placed on the sex offenders register and prohibited from contacting any victims in the future or returning to areas related to their crimes. This includes Fulton Industrial Boulevard.
Charges were first brought against Gibson in June 2023.
At the time, his lawyers argued that the victims were bullied into testifying by authorities.
But, during the trial, it has been argued that Gibson attempted to silence witnesses with the help of his mother.
The jury was shown interrogation footage of Smith from 2021, filmed after she had been taken into custody at a physical therapy clinic.
She denied any wrongdoing in the video, saying she had visited the facility to look for her friend who had skipped a probation appointment.
But in a series of phone calls played to the court, Gibson could be heard instructing his mother to find the missing woman.
‘I mean, y’all acting like I done kidnapped her,’ Smith is believed to have said during questioning.
However, prosecutors have maintained that Gibson engaged in a ‘seven-year reign of terror’.
The She Twerkin’ hitmaker’s trial then began two months ago after he, Smith, and Taylor were accused of coercing and forcing women into sex.
Prosecutors said that these women were exploited for profit and that Gibson used his star status to pursue the crimes. This included the trio using their record company, Pyrez Music Group, to entice and recruit young women.
They were accused of telling the women they would receive financial rewards and increased positions of power in the company in return.
While testifying, one witness reported that she was only given food if she performed sex acts for money.
Fulton County prosecutor Earnell Winfrey told the court: ‘This ain’t just straight pimping—this is trafficking.’
Ahead of his sentencing, Gibson said he thought the jurors ‘made the wrong judgment’ by finding him guilty, maintaining his innocence.
He also claimed that all the women were of legal age and consented to their treatment.
Meanwhile, key evidence presented in the case included text messages from eight different mobile phones, showing a trail of their activities.
Said messages are believed to have documented their illegal operations and the coordination between the three defendants.
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