Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out, whose real name is John-Michael Gibson, has been sentenced to life in prison, plus 70 additional years, after being convicted on multiple charges, including rape and racketeering. According to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Gibson was found guilty on July 18, 2025, of leading a prostitution ring and violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The charges against Gibson also included aggravated sodomy, two counts of trafficking persons for sexual servitude, pimping, pandering, battery, possession of a firearm during a felony, and maintaining a place of prostitution. He was acquitted on a single count of felony aggravated assault, his defense attorney Careton R. Matthews confirmed.
The rapper, known for his early 2010s hits “Cashin’ Out” and “She Twerkin,” had been on trial since June 2 in Fulton County Superior Court before Judge Melynee Leftridge. During the proceedings, Matthews argued that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence and claimed the testimony of several accusers was inconsistent and unreliable.
Gibson's co-defendants included his mother, Linda Smith, and associate Tyrone Taylor, both of whom were also convicted. Smith received a 30-year sentence, while Taylor was sentenced to life plus 70 years. Prosecutors told the jury that the group operated a criminal enterprise using deception and coercion to recruit and exploit women.
Judge Leftridge, before handing down the sentences, stated that the evidence showed “the very worst of human behavior toward other human beings,” according to WXIA-TV.
Matthews said his client continues to maintain his innocence and may pursue an appeal or request a new trial. Gibson rose to fame in 2011 after signing with Epic Records and reaching No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Cashin’ Out.”
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