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On Thursday (Oct. 31), after a shocking turn of events, Young Thug was officially released from custody after entering a non-negotiated plea agreement. Going up against RICO charges is no easy mission, however, it turns out Thugger selected the best man for the job, Brian Steel.
Initially facing up to 40 years in prison, the veteran attorney was able to lead Thug’s legal team through the longest-running criminal trial in Georgia history. The Atlanta rapper was sentenced to time served, 15 years of probation, and a “backloaded” consecutive sentence of 20 years if he violates the terms of his conditional release.
Fans immediately flooded to social media to share their reactions to Thug’s release, and additionally, give Steel his flowers for fighting endlessly to get the job done. “You will be getting your YSL chain also in the next 48 hours brother,” one account posted on X. Another user wrote, “The retainer price for Brian Steel just went through the roof.”
The attorney has been defending those accused of criminal misconduct since 1991 and prides himself on assisting those who have the odds stacked against them. “When people call me to ask for help, I’m honored,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I find it the greatest privilege to help people in need.”
So, who is the man who helped bring Young Thug home? Here are five things to know about criminal defense attorney Brian Steel.
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Grew up in Queens, NY
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Although he has spent the last few years practicing in Georgia, Steel grew up in Queens, NY.
He contemplated a career on Wall Street before his successful career as an attorney. Steel completed an undergraduate business degree at the University of Michigan. However, he changed the trajectory of his career one day after “a tour of the stock exchange trading floor, where people were smoking cigarettes, screaming and pushing one another,” per The AJ-C.
That experience convinced him to go to the Fordham University School of Law in Manhattan instead. He initially planned to become a tax attorney, but as we know now, life had other plans for him.
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Has worked over three decades as a criminal defense attorney
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For those familiar with his work, this recent major victory may not come as a complete surprise; Mr. Steel’s resume is long and impressive. He has spent the last 33 years as a criminal defense attorney, working his way through countless high profile cases with extremely high stakes.
He has represented judges, such as former DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker and former Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Kathryn Schrader. Additionally, he has successfully repped district attorneys, FBI agents, lawyers, medical doctors, and professional athletes. In addition to his roster of celebrities he has worked with, he spent time fighting for people who couldn’t afford counsel, including victims of domestic violence, juvenile defendants, and more.
Steel has handled cases ranging from RICO, wire fraud, immigration fraud, money laundering, murder, armed robbery, drug offenses, rape and child sex offenses in both state and federal courts.
According to his Steel Law Firm site, he has “achieved not guilty verdicts in seemingly un-winnable cases, [which] reflect the commitment he gives to his clients and his command of the law. Additionally, Brian Steel is Georgia’s most successful criminal appellate attorney, with around 300 published opinions and approximately 45 reversals to his credit.”
For a list of all of his cases, click here.
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Got former Los Angeles Lakers player Javaris Crittenton out of jail
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In 2015, Javaris Crittenton was sentenced to 23 years in prison after accepting a plea deal in a 2011 murder case. The former Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards guard pleaded guilty to murder in the shooting death of Julian Jones in Atlanta.
In April 2023, Steel was able to get the athlete out of jail after he spent 10 years in custody following a woman’s shooting death. Crittenton was released early after Steel successfully convinced the court that the basketball player “learned from his mistakes.”
“He’s trying to get people motivated, especially children, to live a lawful life,” Steel said, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Ran six marathons since the beginning of Thugger’s RICO trial
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As if the long days fighting for justice in the courtroom aren’t enough to keep him busy, Steel also is a dedicated long distance runner. The lawyer spends his off hours training for marathons, running up to 25 miles on the weekends, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In fact, he has run six marathons since the beginning of the YSL RICO trial because “the exercise helps him think.”
“I don’t wear headphones or anything. I think about my family and my life and our cases,” Steel told the outlet. “I could be looking at an issue for a month and I’m just jogging and it’s so clear to me. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”
How does he possibly fit this all into his schedule? The AJ-C says he begins his day with a 2-mile run at 4:30 a.m. After that, he heads to the gym to lift weights and swim. Then, he goes to his day job as being a top attorney. He’s not done yet, though, as he often goes back to the pool after court wraps.
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Made a risky play for Young Thug’s freedom, but it worked
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Due to Steel’s experience, he was able to provide a strategy that allowed Thug to go home earlier than expected. The rapper was initially offered a plea deal that included a sentence of up to 40 years, but Steel advised his client not to take it and to plead guilty to certain charges instead.
Thug pleaded guilty to six charges: one count of participation in criminal street gang activity; three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act; one count of firearm possession during commission of a felony; and one count of possession of a machine gun. He pleaded no-contest to the RICO charges. This meant prosecutors and the defense were not able to come to a sentencing deal and the judge still had the final say.
However, when he was able to speak before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker on Thursday, Thug successfully pleaded to be allowed to go home. “I am a smart guy. I am a good guy. I really got a good heart,” the “Bad Bad Bad” rapper said, per CNN. “I find myself in a lot of stuff because, because I was just nice or cool, you know, and I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end (badly).”
“I’ve learned from my mistakes.”
Before revealing the sentence of 15 years probation, Whitaker told Williams, “I want you to try to be more of the solution and less of the problem.”
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Is known for his “unwavering politeness and professionalism”
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Although he has built a reputation of being tough to beat in court, Steel is also known for being pleasant to work with. The attorney is known amongst his colleagues for his “unwavering politeness and professionalism,” several attorneys told The AJ-C.
“Everybody loves him,” Chadha Jimenez relayed to the outlet. “He will destroy you in court, always like a gentleman.”
The publication described Steel as “even-tempered and by-the-book.” During Thug’s trial, Steel was held in contempt and sentenced to 20 days in jail after Judge Ural Glanville accused him of withholding information about how he heard about a “secret meeting” between prosecutors.
“That’s the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever seen Brian Steel do and it wouldn’t make anybody else’s top 100,” said appellate attorney Andrew Fleischman of the incident. “Brian Steel is the nicest guy.”
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Was named one of ‘Billboard’s’ Top Music Lawyers in 2023
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In honor of his accomplishments and also his hard work on the then-ongoing YSL trial, Brian Steel was named within Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers of 2023 list. The compilation includes figures who are exhibiting excellence in their field of representing top talent in the courtroom, nominated by their firms and peers, and chosen by BB’s editors.
The entry on the Billboard list reads: “When Young Thug and Gunna were indicted in May 2022 on accusations that they participated in a violent Atlanta street gang, they tapped veteran Georgia attorneys with extensive experience handling such cases. Steel, a well-known Atlanta criminal defense attorney who had previously represented 21 Savage, is serving as lead counsel for Young Thug in the ongoing trial, which started in January and is expected to run for months.”
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