Young Nudy‘s PDE crew is at the center of a new RICO indictment in which multiple members have been arrested over allegations they stole up to $70,000 in COVID-19 relief.
PerAtlanta News First, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrests on Wednesday (August 9), concluding what they said was a 30-month-long multi-jurisdiction investigation involving multiple “associates of the PDE criminal street gang.”
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Prosecutors allege the insurance fraud scheme, which spanned several states, involved stealing “personal information from more than 100 Fulton County residents to apply for and receive federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.” Officials said a few of the victims were already dead.
Eight individuals have since been indicted by a grand jury: Shadarian Mitchell, 34, Caren Mitchell, 54, Dontavious Cheeks, 33, Kenneth Long, 35, Brittany Parks, 28, Kareem Durham, 27, Julian Rabun, 39, Zemekia Davis, 34.
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All of them are charged with violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations) Act, violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud the state, and identity fraud.
“The White Collar Crime Unit spent more than two years investigating this case, which came to our attention out of a series of gang-related homicide investigations in early 2021,” White Collar Crime Unit Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten told Atlanta News First.
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“We spent countless hours combing through cell phone evidence, social media evidence, bank records, and other documents, and we intend to hold accountable all of the individuals charged by the grand jury in this case.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis added: “Whether they are shooting or stealing, criminal street gangs will be prosecuted by my office for the crimes they commit in Fulton County using every tool available under the law. If gangs choose to turn to white collar crimes to fund their illegal activities, we will be waiting with indictments in hand.”
Atlanta crime reporter George Chidi also combed through the indictment and said he didn’t believe any of the accused were associated with Nudy’s PDE (Paradise East Records) label.
“If there are rappers in there, I can’t see them,” he wrote on Twitter. “There’s nothing obvious in this indictment about a connection between PDE the street gang and anyone signed to the PDE label. There’s also none of the Instagram gang photos or lyrics or other stuff we see in other gang cases.”
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Young Nudy has yet to comment on the arrests, which come after his North American tour wrapped in his hometown of Atlanta back in April. The rapper experienced a tense moment during the trek when a fan tried to snatch his chain mid-show.
The incident transpired on April 13 in Nashville, with footage showing Nudy getting up close and personal with the crowd while he performed. Things turned sour when one fan started to get a little handsy and gripped Nudy’s chain.
Nudy could be seen staring down the fan before landing a slap on them, at which point security stepped in and broke up the incident.
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PDE isn’t the first Atlanta collective affiliated with a rapper to face RICO charges. Young Thug and numerous members of his YSL crew were arrested in May 2022 as part of a sprawling RICO indictment that accuses them of being a “criminal street gang.”
Thug has remained behind bars ever since, and will continue to do so until the trial begins after having his fourth bond request denied. A single juror has yet to be seated, despite the jury selection process beginning in January.
