Cortlen Henry, a member of the YNW Collective rap group and alleged accomplice of rapper YNW Melly, accepted a plea deal Tuesday regarding the 2018 killings of two fellow group members.

What are the details of Cortlen Henry’s plea agreement?

Henry appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon and pleaded no contest to the accessory charges under the plea agreement with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, NBC 6 reported.

He initially faced two first-degree murder charges, but prosecutors dismissed them. A judge found Henry guilty of the accessory charges and sentenced him to 10 years in prison with six years of probation, crediting him for time already served. If convicted at trial, Henry could have faced life in prison.

Henry, 26, was part of the YNW collective group alongside Melly, whose real name is Jamell Demons. The pair is accused of killing both childhood friends and fellow YNW Collective group members Christopher Thomas, Jr. (YNW Juvy) and Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser). Henry’s collective name is YNW Bortlen, per NBC 6 and Blavity.

Thomas Jr. and Williams’ murders explained

His attorney, Fred Haddad, said he will not be required to testify against Melly in his retrial as part of the negotiated plea agreement, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He will give a sworn statement in court to Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein, explaining his role in the deaths of his two childhood friends and rap group members.

Thomas Jr. and Williams were reportedly gunned down in a Jeep driven by Henry during a late-night recording session at a Fort Lauderdale studio on Oct. 26, 2018. Surveillance video showed Henry in the driver’s seat, Melly sitting right behind him, and the two victims sitting in the front and rear sides of the passenger seat, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Hours later, Thomas Jr. and Williams were shot and transported to a local hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. According to medical experts, the bullet holes indicated that both men were gunned down by someone who was inside the car.

Prosecutors said Melly had targeted his longtime friends over a gang dispute and the financial issues they faced after Melly’s rising stardom. They also stated that Henry and Melly planned the shooting and made it look like Thomas Jr. and Williams were involved in a drive-by shooting.

Melly’s first trial, in 2023, ended in a mistrial, per Blavity. His retrial is scheduled for early 2027.