Lil Woody Claims Police Harassment Led Him to Inform on Young Thug

Young Thug’s RICO trial resumed on Monday (Aug. 12), with key witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland taking the stand once again. During the morning session, prosecutors questioned Copeland about his conversations with law enforcement concerning the founder of Young Stoner Life Records.

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker gave Copeland an ultimatum: either testify again or remain in jail until the trial concludes. Reluctantly, Copeland chose to testify, expressing his frustration by saying, “I’m tired of y’all bothering me.”

When asked why he decided to inform on the So Much Fun rapper, Copeland explained,

“The police kept locking me up for whatever they could. Every time I stepped outside, they were on me, and they kept bringing up Thug’s name. So, to get them off my back, I said, ‘Thug did this. Thug did that.’ I knew he didn’t do it, and I thought the police would never actually go after him.”

He added, “It was easy for me to shift the blame onto him to get them off my case. That’s what I did for all these years.” Prosecutors then shifted their attention to the case of Donovan “Big Nut” Thomas Jr., who was tragically killed in a 2015 drive-by shooting.

Copeland justified his cooperation with the police, saying, “I was just trying to protect myself. I have a family to protect.” He also claimed that coercion played a part in his decision:

“Y’all kept locking me up, putting me in isolation, and placing me in protective custody in Fulton County Jail, where people smear feces on the walls. They kept locking me in a room, keeping me there 23 hours a day, messing with my mental health, and dragging me back and forth.”

Young Thug’s trial has now reached its 109th day. Despite being incarcerated, the rapper recently appeared on Drake’s “It’s Up” and Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s “RIVER.”