Rap group defense lawyer charged after being accused of tipping off gang member to ditch evidence
A defense attorney previously involved in the high-profile trial of the Atlanta-based accused criminal street gang and rap group YSL now faces criminal charges herself.
Nicole Fegan was indicted on multiple charges on Monday, which include allegations that she tipped off a fugitive and gang member about getting rid of evidence.
Fegan was part of the historic trial that took place in December 2023, in which several members of YSL were charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Rapper Young Thug was painted by prosecutors as the leader of the criminal gang, which was responsible for multiple violent crimes, including murders, shootings and carjackings.
It was claimed that some of the group’s lyrics were related to crimes they are accused of committing, sparking controversy over free speech protections.
All 28 people who were charged were ultimately acquitted of murder charges in the case. In October 2024, Young Thug pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges and was released from jail after his sentence was commuted to time already served.
The charges against the rapper and YSL were brought under the state’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, the same act that Fegan is now being charged under.
The indictment against her, obtained by WSBTV, alleges Fegan unlawfully solicited a fugitive in a gang murder case to commit criminal gang activity through the commission of the offense of tampering with evidence.
According to the outlet, the lawyer is accused of unlawfully soliciting a gang member to get rid of his phone with the intent to obstruct the prosecution of another person.
Along with another person, she is also accused of obtaining and giving an inmate of Fulton County Jail, Tenquarious Mender, contraband items. Fegan previously served as Mender’s defense lawyer, the documents showed.
In a statement shared with WSBTV, the lawyer’s lawyer, Drew Findling, described the indictment as a “travesty.”
“Nicole Fegan is a fierce trial attorney and well-respected amongst her peers,” the statement said. “These charges stem from activities alleged to have occurred 2 and a half years ago during the YSL trial for which Ms. Fegan was a zealous advocate for her client, no more.
“We look forward to fighting these false allegations.”
