YNW Bortlen just made a deal with prosecutors after getting arrested in 2019 for being involved in the deaths of two people from his group.
Instead of going to trial, Bortlen decided to plead no contest to a few things: tampering with a witness, helping out with a really serious crime, and using a phone or walkie-talkie in a way he shouldn’t have. Because of this, the state dropped some of the most serious accusations—like two murder charges and saying he was in charge of a gang—so those are off the table now.
Bortlen, whose real name is Cortlen Malik Henry, ended up with a sentence of 10 years in prison, plus another six years on probation after he gets out. The time he’s already spent locked up will count toward his sentence. Also, he has to give a statement to the prosecutors explaining what happened, but that doesn’t mean he’s admitting anything.
“It’s important to note that Cortlen pled no contest today, so he has not admitted anything,” said his lawyer, Joseph E. “Joe” Nascimento. “There is no requirement or expectation that he cooperate with the prosecution against his co-defendant in the case, nor do I anticipate that he will be called as a witness by either side, so his plea should not be construed as an admission of any kind, nor can it be used against him or anybody else. Trial was set to begin tomorrow, and he was facing multiple counts of mandatory life sentences if found guilty, so this plea was in his best interest to mitigate any exposure, and so that’s why he decided to move forward today.”
Back in 2019, Bortlen and YNW Melly were both taken in and accused of killing Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams. Bortlen was only 20 then. He got out on bond in 2020, but last October, he was put back in jail for messing with a witness.
Fans wonder how these choices will affect everyone involved.
YNW Melly’s trial started in June 2023, but it didn’t finish because the jury couldn’t agree, so now they have to do the whole thing again, but not until January 2027.
Sometimes, legal stuff gets so complicated, it’s almost like trying to solve a maze with invisible walls and moving doors.
