YNW Bortlen Plea Deal: Inside the Shocking Attempt to Escape Justice and its Consequences

The guilty plea deal of rapper YNW Melly, born Jamee Robert Roberts, also known as YNW Bortlen, has sent shockwaves through the hip-hop world and beyond. In February 2022, the artist, who was awaiting trial for his alleged role in the murders of his two friends, Anthony "YNW Sakchaser" Williams and Christopher "YNW Juvy" Thomas Jr., acceptance of a plea deal is being referred to as a consequence for his claim of being a teenager when the murder took place and now claiming he's an adult resulting in more time.

The plea deal, which has been widely reported in various outlets, has sparked intense debate about the lengths to which the justice system will go to avoid lengthy trials. The complex case has several details:

In November 2019, YNW Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, along with two other co-defendants, YNW Bortlen and YNW Treyaun. According to the indictment, Melly and his associates shot and killed his friends in a drive-by shooting. Authorities have presented a meticulous case against Melly, using digital evidence, including the targeted phone records of the victim and other supporting evidence collected at the scene.

During the investigation, the police obtained approximately 3.5 million records on the victim's phone. All identified phone calls made to him from October 2019 to the date of his death. The records demonstrate that the late victim and YNW Melly were strangers before they met in 2018 at a Miami concert for the artist Ski Mask, The Slump God.