Closing arguments have begun in Ca$h Out’s sex trafficking RICO trial in Georgia.
Ca$h Out’s Sex Trafficking Trial Coming to a Close
After both sides rested their cases on Tuesday (July 15), Ca$h Out’s defense team proclaimed his innocence to the jury in closing arguments on Wednesday (July 16), Atlanta News First reports. The rapper, his mother, Linda Smith, and another codefendant are accused of luring women into a prostitution ring, with multiple women testifying that they were forced into sex work during the trial. However, Ca$h Out’s attorney discredited the women’s testimonies and insisted that the rapper was overcharged in the case.
“There was no conspiracy to do RICO. There was no clear criminal enterprise,” attorney Careton Matthews said.
Linda Smith’s attorney told the jury that Smith only made decisions about his music career and did not benefit from alleged sex trafficking.
The prosecution is expected to start opening arguments on Thursday (July 17).
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Ca$h Out Accused of Luring Women Into Prostitution
Ca$h Out, born John Gibson, was arrested and indicted in 2022. The Atlanta rhymer is accused of using his status as a rapper to lure women into prostitution and using his label, Pyrex Music Group, to recruit women from social media platforms to engage in prostitution. The rapper’s mother, who also goes by “Mama Ca$h,” is a co-defendant in the case along with another man, Tyrone Taylor, who is believed to have participated in the crimes.
The Ca$h Out Trial
The rapper’s trial started on June 2. Multiple women testified Gibson had them perform sex acts for money that they would then allegedly have to give the rapper, after he wooed them with promises of money and career advances. The jury has also been shown bank records that purport to reveal payments tied to sex trafficking. Ca$h Out’s defense team said the transactions were not conclusive proof.
The rapper is facing 25 years to life in prison if found guilty.