YNW Bortlen recently agreed to a shocking plea deal that shortened his prison sentence by decades. What does it mean for him and YNW Melly?
Cortlen Henry, better known as YNW Bortlen, recently agreed to a plea deal that will dramatically alter his fate. Bortlen took the deal, which comes as part of the ongoing years long double murder case against longtime associate and friend YNW Melly, on September 9. It was a rather shocking update, as the charges against him were so significant. His trial was set to begin on September 10 if he didn’t accept the life-changing (and potentially lifesaving) offer presented to him just five days before.
The terms come with several dropped charges, including two counts of first-degree murder that would have landed him in prison for the rest of his life if convicted. And of course, the deal may also have some potential ramifications for Melly’s pending retrial, which recently got delayed by another 16 months to January 2027 after being set to start on the same day as Bortlen’s trial. So, what are the details behind this unexpected outcome? And how will this affect the future of the two co-defendants as they continue to navigate Florida’s legal system?
Why Did YNW Bortlen Get Arrested?
In 2019, YNW Bortlen and YNW Melly both got arrested. The Miramar Police Departement cited a potential connection to the 2018 shooting deaths of fellow YNW crew members Juvy (real name Christopher Thomas, Jr.) and Sakchaser (real name Anthony Williams). Authorities charged Bortlen with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of accessory. Melly was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder. In 2023, Bortlen got hit with a witness tampering charge, as well as being accused of directing the activities of a criminal gang. On top of allegedly killing Juvy and Sakchaser, Bortlen and Melly also had to field allegations of staging it in a way that would lead most to write it off as a drive-by…