YNW Melly is shaking up his legal team just days after YNW Bortlen accepted a plea deal that could complicate Melly’s upcoming double murder retrial in Broward County, Florida.
The 25-year-old rapper submitted a motion to fire his longtime attorneys and bring in high-profile replacements, including Drew Findling, who previously represented Donald Trump.
Melly is also looking to hire Carey Haughwout, another seasoned Florida defense lawyer.
Findling has deep ties to the rap community. He has represented many artists, including Cardi B, Glorilla, YFN Lucci, NBA Youngboy and dozens of others.
YNW Melly is cutting ties with Raven Liberty, Stuart Adelstein, Daniel Aaronson and three other lawyers who have represented him since his 2019 arrest.
The motion highlights a potential conflict of interest involving Liberty, who is currently under investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office for witness tampering, although she has not been charged with any offense.
The timing of the legal overhaul comes just after co-defendant Cortlen Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, accepted a plea deal. On Tuesday, Henry was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges: accessory after the fact and witness tampering.
Prosecutors dropped the original murder charges in exchange for YNW Bortlen’s sworn proffer detailing only his own actions.
YNW Melly is accused of murdering his close friends Anthony Williams, 21, and Christopher Thomas Jr., 19, in 2018. Prosecutors allege he and YNW Bortlen staged the scene to resemble a drive-by shooting in Miramar, Florida.
The judge must still approve the new counsel.
YNW Melly’s retrial is scheduled for January 2027. His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
If convicted, YNW Melly could spend the rest of his life behind bars.