Atlanta Rapper Cash Out Convicted of Rape and Sex Trafficking in Fulton County RICO Case

Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out has been convicted in a Fulton County courtroom on multiple charges tied to a sweeping RICO case centered around a sex trafficking ring that prosecutors say operated across metro Atlanta for years.

The artist, born John-Michael Hakim Gibson, was found guilty of rape, aggravated sodomy, pimping, and two counts of sex trafficking. He was acquitted of a third sex trafficking charge, along with charges of sexual servitude, aggravated assault, and maintaining a place of prostitution.

Prosecutors say Ca$h Out ran the trafficking operation as a criminal enterprise alongside his mother, Linda Smith—known in some circles as “Mama Ca$h Out”—and a third defendant, Tyrone Taylor.

Smith was convicted on one count of trafficking and cleared of another trafficking charge as well as one for prostitution. Taylor, meanwhile, was convicted on all charges except pimping, including rape and aggravated sodomy.

The case shocked many in the Atlanta community, exposing what officials described as a coordinated and violent sex trafficking ring. Prosecutors laid out disturbing details in court, including accounts from several victims who said they were raped, forced into prostitution, and had their earnings taken by Ca$h Out or his mother.

One victim testified that she was not allowed to eat unless she engaged in commercial sex acts. Another recalled being coerced and assaulted over time.

Nearly 60 witnesses were called throughout the trial. Prosecutors also introduced video evidence captured during a prostitution sting operation, which they say highlighted the organized and exploitative nature of the group’s activities.

While RICO charges are typically reserved for organized crime cases, authorities argued that Ca$h Out and his co-defendants operated as a for-profit criminal enterprise, using sex work, coercion, and violence as tools of control and revenue.

Sentencing for all three defendants is scheduled for later this year.

Ca$h Out, best known for his 2012 hit single “Cashin’ Out,” had largely faded from the music scene before the criminal investigation began in 2019. His conviction now marks a dramatic fall from fame, as he faces the possibility of decades behind bars for his role in the crimes.