Update: Rapper Ca$h Out, his mother Linda Smith, a.k.a. “Mama Ca$h,” and a cousin, Tyrone Taylor were sentenced on Monday following their conviction on sex trafficking charges.
A jury convicted the trio of RICO, rape, and trafficking charges in an Atlanta courtroom on Friday, July 18.
On Monday, a Fulton County judge sentenced the Atlanta rapper, real name John Michael Gibson, to life plus 70 years in prison.
Gibson, 34, received a life sentence on the rape charge plus 70 years for the RICO and sex trafficking convictions.
Taylor also received a life sentence plus 70 years in prison.
Gibson addressed the courtroom after his sentence was handed down. He thanked the judge and jury for giving him a fair trial. However, he maintained his innocence. The rapper said he only “dealt with grown women” and “nothing was forced.”
In 2022, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Gibson used his celebrity status to lure women off Instagram and into a life of prostitution.
“The most troubling aspect of this case is that women have been victimized and brutalized within our community by people who had a chance to do something else with their lives,” Willis said.
Smith, who managed her son’s music career, was convicted on one charge of trafficking and acquitted on another charge. She was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison.
Smith, 52, said she was not aware of her son’s criminal activities.
60 witnesses testified during the 7-week trial. Victims testified they were promised recording deals, money, travel and fame. But the victims said they were coerced into prostitution. They were forced to hand over their earnings to Ca$h Out and his mother.
Gibson is best known for his 2011 rap single “Cashin’ Out”, which peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
