Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out, whose real name is John Michael Gibson, and his mother, Linda Smith, were convicted on July 18, 2025, on a slate of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, concluding a high-profile, seven-week trial in Fulton County. Prosecutors say the guilty verdicts mark the end of a “seven-year reign of terror” tied to a criminal enterprise operating under the guise of a music label.
The 34-year-old rapper, best known for his 2012 hit “Cashin’ Out,” was found guilty of two counts of sex trafficking, rape, pimping, aggravated sodomy, and RICO conspiracy. He was acquitted on charges of sexual servitude, aggravated assault, and operating a place of prostitution.
Linda Smith, known to some as “Mama Ca$h” or “Moreenika Vinnie,” was convicted of one count of sex trafficking and RICO conspiracy, though she was cleared of prostitution-related charges.
Tyrone Taylor, Gibson’s cousin and co-defendant, was also found guilty of rape, aggravated sodomy, one count of sex trafficking, and conspiracy under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. He was acquitted of a pimping charge.
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Prosecutors alleged that Gibson, Smith, and Taylor ran a sex trafficking ring through Pyrez Music Group LLC, a company tied to Gibson’s music career.
“This ain’t just straight pimping—this is trafficking,”
Said lead prosecutor Earnell Winfrey.
“Sure, they were pimping, for sure. But force and cohesion is what makes it trafficking.”
Key evidence presented during the trial included text messages coordinating the sale of women, Cash App transactions, and bank deposits linked to adult websites. Eight mobile phones were entered into evidence, as well as payment records and property leases allegedly used to house victims.
One Cash App account even bore the name “Linda Smith Mama Cash,” prosecutors noted.
Nearly 60 witnesses took the stand, including several women who described horrific abuse. One woman testified she was denied food unless she performed sex acts, while another recounted being raped and held against her will at a Fulton County motel.
Some witnesses said they were forced to turn over all earnings to either Gibson or Smith. Recorded jailhouse calls between Gibson and his mother further implicated them in efforts to influence potential witnesses.
Gibson was first arrested in 2019 during a prostitution sting in Gwinnett County, a bust that ultimately unraveled the broader alleged criminal operation.
Defense attorneys for Gibson argued that the state failed to prove the existence of a criminal enterprise. “There was no conspiracy to do RICO,” said defense attorney Careton Matthews, insisting that Gibson’s music and alleged trafficking were unconnected.
Smith’s defense team claimed she did not know about the sex trafficking operation. However, prosecutors presented evidence tying her to financial transactions and leased properties allegedly used in the trafficking scheme.
Sentencing for all three defendants is scheduled for July 21 at 10 a.m. Gibson faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life, while RICO conspiracy alone carries a sentence of five to 20 years under Georgia law.
This conviction adds to Fulton County’s growing list of high-profile RICO cases, including the ongoing prosecution of former President Donald Trump for election interference and the recently concluded trial involving rapper Young Thug and the YSL collective.
