Ca$h Out, His Mom, and Cousin Were All Hit With Lengthy Prison Sentences

Atlanta rapper Ca$h Out (real name is John-Michael Gibson), best known for hits like "Cashin' Out" and "She Twerkin," is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars. On July 21, 2024, a Fulton County, Ga. judge sentenced him on multiple counts tied to a high-profile sex trafficking case he was found guilty of.

But he wasn’t the only one handed a lengthy sentence. His mother, Linda Smith (also known as "Morenika Vinnie" and "Mama Ca$h Out"), was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and his cousin, Tyrone Taylor, received the same sentence as him.

Given how serious the punishment is, you’re probably wondering what Ca$h Out did to deserve it. Here’s a full breakdown of the case.

The Atlanta rapper endured a month-long trial in June 2025 on RICO and sex trafficking charges. According to Fulton County media relations director Pallavi Bailey, per USA Today, a 12-person jury ultimately found him guilty in July 2025 on two counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude, as well as pimping, pandering, battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and keeping a place of prostitution, among other crimes.

Prosecutors alleged that Ca$h Out, along with his mother and cousin, used their record label, PMG (Pyrex Music Group, LLC), which as since been dissolved, as a front for a sex trafficking ring, luring women into the industry and coercing them into prostitution.

Although Ca$h Out maintains his innocence and his attorney has said he plans to appeal, several victims testified about the trauma they endured. Some said they now feel “unlovable” and “disgusting” after what they were subjected to, 11Alive reported.

Others and their families shared that the women now have depression and PTSD after being coerced into prostitution. One victim’s parents even accused the rapper of using his fame to “steal their person… literally stole the souls of all the women they victimized.”

In his final statement, Ca$h Out argued that the women involved were adults who willingly made those choices and claimed they had been “bullied” into testifying against him. The judge disagreed, however, describing the behavior of Ca$h Out, his mother, and his cousin as “the very worst of human behavior toward other human beings” before handing down the sentence.

As a result of the guilty verdict, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melynee Leftridge sentenced Ca$h Out to life in prison, plus an additional 70 years, meaning he’ll likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.

While he was handed several other jail terms, they don’t add any extra time to his overall sentence, according to 11Alive. It turns out he may have been better off accepting the prosecution’s original recommendation of 25 years, but he declined because he “wanted his day in court,” the outlet reported.

And although his defense attorney argued against a “trial penalty,” which can sometimes result in harsher sentencing, the judge ultimately imposed some pretty severe penalties for the crimes he was convicted of. As previously mentioned, Ca$h Out’s mother was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and his cousin received the same life sentence as the rapper.