Georgia rapper Cash Out has been ordered to pay $40 million to a sex trafficking victim following his recent conviction and life sentence.
According to court records, the 35 year old artist must pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages to a woman identified as J.M., who sued him in 2022 under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The ruling was handed down earlier this month.
J.M.’s lawsuit alleged that Cash Out, born John Michael Gibson, forced her into prostitution, threatened and physically harmed her when she resisted, and coerced her into drug use. The court ultimately found the claims supported by evidence, resulting in one of the largest civil judgments tied to a sex trafficking case involving a music figure.
“The court’s ruling underscores that sex trafficking carries serious legal consequences,” said J.M.’s attorney, Matthew Stoddard. “It sends an important signal that exploiting vulnerable individuals will be met with substantial accountability under the law.”
Stoddard added that the judgment reflects recognition of the long term harm caused by trafficking and that financial penalties will follow when evidence demonstrates exploitation, regardless of whether the decision is made by a judge or jury.
The legal fight is not over. Stoddard confirmed that his firm is now seeking to collect funds currently held in the court’s registry through forfeiture proceedings connected to Cash Out’s criminal RICO case. The firm is also exploring the assignment of future income from the rapper’s music catalogue to satisfy the judgment.
In July 2025, Cash Out was convicted of rape, sex trafficking, and racketeering, and was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years. His co defendant, Tyrone Taylor, received the same sentence. Cash Out’s mother, Linda Smith, was also convicted and sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
The ruling adds another layer of consequence to a case that has already reshaped Cash Out’s legacy, marking a decisive legal outcome in one of the most severe criminal prosecutions involving a Hip Hop artist in recent history.