18-year-old threatens sheriff and his wife over RICO Act arrests, Georgia deputies say
An 18-year-old Georgia man threatened to kill an Atlanta-area sheriff and his wife over the recent arrests of Rapper Young Thug and members of Young Slime Life (YSL) on racketeering charges, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s office.
Quartavius Mender was arrested May 26 and faces 23 felony counts of terroristic threats after he was accused of making death threats against Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, deputies wrote in a news release.
In comments posted to social media, Mender allegedly threatened to kill Labat, Labat’s wife Jacki, the police chief of Atlanta Public Schools and unless a “high-profile defendant” named in the case against YSL was released from jail.
Young Thug and others associated with music label YSL — which authorities have called a criminal enterprise — were named in a sweeping indictment brought by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in May, accusing the group of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or the RICO Act.
The rapper, born Jeffery Williams, was among at least 27 others hit with racketeering and gang-related charges, McClatchy News reported. A judge denied him bond Thursday, June 2, and his trial isn’t expected to begin until January 2023, according to WXIA.
It’s not clear which “high-profile defendant” Mender was referring to in his threats, but Williams is the highest-profile person in the indictment who authorities have pegged as the leader of YSL, the news station reported.
Labat said his office takes “brazen threats” seriously.
“Social media cyberbullying, and hiding behind a keyboard will not protect someone from criminal prosecution,” he said in a statement. “Our investigators are diligent in seeking individuals who mean to do harm to anybody, and I am grateful to them for ensuring the safety of myself, my wife, and all citizens of Fulton County.”
Mender was booked into the Fulton County Jail where he remains held without bond as of June 3, online records show.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 2:26 PM with the headline "18-year-old threatens sheriff and his wife over RICO Act arrests, Georgia deputies say."