YNW Melly Scores Major Legal Win as Prosecutors Drop Witness Tampering Charges
Written by b87fm on 01/20/2026
YNW Melly secured a significant legal victory after Florida prosecutors dropped all witness-tampering-related charges just one day before his trial was set to begin.
On Monday, Jan. 20, the Broward County State Attorney’s Office dismissed four charges against the rapper, born Jamell Demons. The dropped counts included witness tampering, directing criminal gang activities, criminal solicitation to commit murder, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness in a capital case. Jury selection for the trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday.
Melly’s newly retained legal team immediately welcomed the decision. Attorneys Drew Findling and Carey Haughwout released a statement following the dismissal.
“On behalf of Jamell Demons, we welcome the dismissal of the alleged tampering and gang-related charges in court this morning,” the attorneys said. “As his newly retained legal team, it became immediately apparent to us that no crimes had occurred.”
They also criticized how long the charges remained pending, noting that Melly spent 652 days in custody while prosecutors pursued the case.
“Unfortunately, for 652 days while these charges were pending, the State did not reach the same conclusion until the cusp of trial,” the statement continued.
Prosecutors had alleged that Melly attempted to prevent a witness from testifying during his 2023 double murder trial, claiming he worked with co-defendant Cortlen Henry and another inmate to pressure his ex-girlfriend not to take the stand.
That double murder trial ended in a hung jury after three days of deliberations. Melly is accused of killing two childhood friends—Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams—in October 2018. Prosecutors allege the killings were staged to look like a drive-by shooting, claiming Melly and Henry fired at Henry’s Jeep to make it appear they were also victims.
Henry reached a plea agreement in September 2025 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of witness tampering and accessory after the fact.
With the witness tampering case now dismissed, Melly’s legal team says its focus will shift entirely to his upcoming murder retrial.
“We now look forward to seeking Mr. Demons’ release from custody, where he has been held under extraordinarily restrictive conditions for far too long based on premises the state has now abandoned,” the attorneys said.
Melly has been incarcerated for 2,202 days since his arrest. His double murder retrial is currently scheduled for January 2027—nearly eight years after he was first taken into custody. He still faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
His defense team has indicated they will now push for his release pending the retrial, arguing that the conditions of his confinement are no longer justified following the dismissal of the witness tampering charges.
