Prosecutors Drop Witness-Tampering Charges Against YNW Melly: More Details
In a massive turn of events for the Florida rap scene, Broward County state prosecutors have officially moved to drop all witness tampering and gang related charges against Jamell Demons, better known as YNW Melly. This legal victory comes just as the YNW Melly witness tampering charges dropped narrative begins to reshape the rapper’s long running battle with the justice system.
On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the state filed a “nolle prosequi” memorandum, effectively ending the specific pursuit of four felony charges: tampering with a witness in a capital felony, conspiracy to commit tampering, solicitation of murder, and directing activities of a criminal gang.
The charges, which had been pending for over 600 days, alleged that Melly had used a complex system of jailhouse phone calls and coded letters to prevent a former girlfriend and other key witnesses from testifying during his initial 2023 double murder trial.
However, as jury selection for the tampering trial was set to begin this week, prosecutors admitted that their position had weakened significantly. Insiders suggest that uncooperative witnesses and successful defense motions to exclude certain digital evidence made the state’s path to a conviction nearly impossible.
Strategic Success for the Defense
The dismissal is being hailed as a masterstroke by Melly’s newly retained legal team, led by high profile “Billion Dollar Lawyer” Drew Findling and veteran attorney Carey Haughwout. Findling, who joined the case in 2025, released a statement welcoming the dismissal and criticizing the prosecution for maintaining “allegations where no crimes had occurred” until the very eve of the trial. The defense had recently secured several key victories in pre trial hearings, including:
- Exclusion of Lyrics: The judge granted a motion to prevent prosecutors from using Melly’s song lyrics as evidence of intent or gang affiliation.
- Phone Record Disputes: Major hurdles were placed on the state’s ability to use certain 2018 and 2019 social media records.
- Separation of Counts: The court had previously agreed to sever the tampering case from the homicide charges, forcing the state to prove the tampering claims independently.
The Looming Double Murder Retrial
While the removal of the tampering case is a cause for celebration within the YNW camp, the rapper’s primary legal hurdle remains. Melly is still facing two counts of first degree murder for the 2018 deaths of his childhood friends, Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams. His first trial in 2023 famously ended in a hung jury, with a 9 to 3 vote in favor of conviction on lesser manslaughter charges.
The double murder retrial has faced numerous setbacks and is currently not expected to begin until January 2027. This delay is largely due to ongoing appeals regarding the admissibility of a YouTube documentary about Melly’s life and other digital footprints. With the tampering charges now out of the way, Melly’s defense can focus entirely on dismantling the state’s theory that he staged a drive by shooting to cover up the murders of his best friends.
The impact of this development has already reverberated through the industry, with rap mogul 50 Cent publicly praising Drew Findling for “beating the cases.” For Melly, who has been incarcerated without bond for over six years, the dismissal of these four felonies represents the most significant shift in his legal momentum since his arrest.