Rapper Cash Out has been sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years after being convicted on RICO and sex trafficking charges in a major Atlanta case.
A Fulton County judge on Monday handed down a sentence of life in prison plus 70 years to Atlanta rapper Cash Out (Ca$h Out) —born John‑Michael Hakeem Gibson—after a jury found him guilty on racketeering (RICO) and rape charges last Friday.
According to WSB-TV Atlanta, The sentencing comes nearly two years after Gibson was first indicted and marks one of the harshest penalties imposed in the county’s recent sex‑trafficking prosecutions.
Gibson’s mother, Linda Smith, and his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, were convicted alongside him of RICO violations for their roles in an alleged scheme to coerce women into sex work. Smith received a 30‑year prison term, while Taylor was also sentenced to life plus 70 years.
All three defendants will be required to register as sex offenders and are prohibited from contacting any of the victims.
Prosecutors painted the trio’s conduct as a “seven‑year reign of terror,” during which they allegedly exploited multiple women for profit. Evidence admitted at trial included text messages retrieved from eight different cellphones, demonstrating a pattern of coercion, intimidation and forced prostitution.
In June 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought a 41‑count indictment against Gibson and his co‑defendants, charging them with aggravated sodomy, human trafficking, rape and related offenses.
Ca$h Out first rose to prominence in 2012 with his debut single “Cashin’ Out,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Rap Airplay chart and earned platinum certification.
He followed up two years later with “She Twerkin” and released his only studio album, Let’s Get It (2014), before legal troubles overshadowed his musical career.
Defense attorneys argued during the trial that victims were pressured into testifying and that Gibson’s celebrity status had been unfairly targeted. However, the jury concluded the evidence of systemic exploitation was overwhelming.
In handing down the sentence, the judge noted the gravity and duration of the offenses, emphasizing the need for deterrence in cases of organized sex trafficking.
With concurrent life terms and additional decades added for RICO violations, Gibson and Taylor face the rest of their lives behind bars, while Smith will not be eligible for release until at least 2055.
