Tenquarius Mender accepts plea deal in YSL RICO Case, avoids trial with 10-year sentence
ATLANTA - Just a matter of weeks before Tenquarius Mender was set to stand trial as a part of the YSL gang and RICO trial, he took a plea deal to end the case.
In court on Monday, Mender pleaded guilty to having a weapon and having a cell phone while in custody. He also entered an Alford plea to a gang charge.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced him to 10 years with time served. He will also spend at least five years on probation.
"I find that plea to be freely, voluntarily, intelligently and knowingly entered with an understanding of the consequences, and I'll accept it as such," Judge Reese Whitaker told Mender.
Earlier in the day, convicted felon Christian Eppinger also appeared before Judge Reese Whitaker. He faces a number of charges including attempted murder for allegedly shooting Atlanta Police Officer David Rodgers six times in February 2022.
The body camera video from that incident was played in court back in October during the last YSL trial when Eppinger was not part of the case.

Christian Eppinger (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
Monday’s hearing in front of Judge Reese Whitaker was initially about an immunity motion. Court documents show Eppinger's attorney argued that he should not be prosecuted claiming self-defense. The motion was withdrawn shortly before the hearing started.
Instead, the judge asked Eppinger if he planned to take a deal offered to him that would have given him life in prison, he declined.
If convicted, Judge Reese Whitaker told Eppinger, he faces up to two life sentences plus roughly 100 years.
The remaining three defendants could go to trial as early as next month. There is a pre-trial conference set for Friday where we’ll learn more.
The Source: The details in this article are from court proceedings and court records.