Atlanta prosecutors let one major rapper slip through their prison bars, but that’s not happening with Cash Out. This week, the rapper, whose name is also spelled as Ca$h Out, got handed a life sentence. Officials bagged him on charges related to running a sex trafficking empire. But John Michael Hakeem Gibson isn’t the only one spending time behind bars! His mother, Linda Smith, and cousin, Tyrone Taylor, also received heavy sentences for their involvement. The judge in the case reportedly called the family’s actions “diabolical” and “the very worst of human behavior,” per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Cash Out Sentenced To Multiple Decades Behind Bars
The Atlanta rapper found Cash Out guilty of 12 counts related to racketeering, sex trafficking, rape, and aggravated sodomy on Friday (July 18), per 11Alive. His trial lasted a month. Prosecutors first indicted him in 2022 and later reindicted him in 2023. They built a case claiming that Ca$h Out ran an enterprise that led to crimes and sexual violence, and played the role of the leader. Their re-indictment document reportedly states that John Gibson “…through the use of deception and then coercion, enticed and recruited women from social media platforms to engage in commercial sexual activity.”
Before trial, the prosecution had allegedly offered Cash Out 25 years, but his lawyer said the rapper wanted his day in court. His attorney asked for 30 years. Then, on Monday, his sentence included life behind bars and 70 additional years in jail. While he received other jail time for several counts, those will not alter his time locked up. His sentencing reportedly includes other conditions. Cash Out is not allowed to contact any of the victims or their families and must register as a sex offender in the state of Georgia. Additionally, his sentencing bans him from several addresses in metro Atlanta, namely the Fulton Industrial Blvd. corridor, per 11Alive.
In the process, John Gibson rejected his guilty convictions and said the jury had made the “wrong judgment.” Gibson also claimed the victims were bullied into going up against him, and mentioned Jesus as an example of a framed man.
Linda Smith & Tyrone Taylor Sentenced For Criminal Enterprise
Prosecutors also successfully argued that John Gibson’s mother and cousin were involved in his criminal operation. Linda Smith went by the names Mama Ca$h Out and Morenika Vinnie. She stood trial and got 30 years total, which includes 20 for racketeering and 10 for trafficking. She will serve the sentence concurrently, per WSB-TV.
Meanwhile, Tyrone Tylor, like his cousin Cash Out, will be in prison for life. He was found guilty of rape and aggravated sodomy. His sentencing includes an additional 60 years for trafficking, assault, false imprisonment, and drug possession.
Smith and Tyrone Taylor both have to register as sex offenders and must avoid all victims. They are also banned from addresses related to their charges and cases.
Victims Share Past Trauma Ahead Of Sentencing
11Alive reports that victims and their families spoke at the sentencing of Gibson, Smith, and Taylor on Monday. Descriptions of past interactions of the defendants were heartbreaking. Victims and loved ones described feeling “unlovable” and “disgusting.”
“For the rest of my life, I will fear that he will kill me, all because I wouldn’t do what he wanted me to do,” a victim reportedly shared.
Some are suffering from symptoms like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other trauma related to trafficking and sexual abuse. A victim’s parents spoke out about how Ca$h Out “literally stole the souls of all the women they victimized.”
