The $10,000 Bounty: Feds Close In on Yungeen Ace for Allegedly Masterminding Julio Foolio’s Deadly Birthday Ambush

Jacksonville rapper Yungeen Ace is facing severe legal pressure, with law enforcement and the feds reportedly closing in on him over the murder of rival rapper Julio Foolio. Amidst cancellations of his entire tour, police are openly stating they are onto him, believing he was involved in orchestrating the deadly ambush that took Foolio’s life on his birthday.

Foolio’s Fatal Mistakes and the Ambush

Julio Foolio (Charles Jones) was killed in Tampa, Florida, on his 26th birthday. The tragedy occurred after Foolio made a series of critical errors on social media that allowed his rivals to track him:

Posting the Party: Foolio and his crew rented an Airbnb for a pool party and he posted the address to his Instagram, inviting the public.
Location Leak: After the Airbnb party was shut down by police, Foolio posted an advertisement for a local club, once again leaking his exact new location.
The Hit: The murder occurred in the early morning hours outside a Holiday Inn where Foolio’s manager had secured a room. Three men, believed to be rivals from the ATK and 1200 gangs—which police identify as being affiliated with Yungeen Ace—ambushed the group in the parking lot, focusing their fire on Foolio.

One alleged street member later claimed on video that Yungeen Ace put a $10,000 bounty on Foolio’s head to execute the hit, claiming Ace was tired of Foolio’s constant provocations.

Evidence Tying Yungeen Ace to the Crime

Police have collected a trail of evidence and behavior linking Yungeen Ace to the crime and the ongoing gang war:

The Meme: Evidence presented in court revealed a picture of a Don Julio bottle on one of the suspect’s phones, sent the day after the murder. A detective testified this was an insult to the deceased rapper, and further evidence shows Ace sent the meme to one of the suspects.
The Diss Track: Days after the murder, Yungeen Ace released a diss track where he explicitly remixed lyrics from one of Foolio’s songs, mocking the death. He also appeared on a live stream with his mother, where they laughed about Foolio’s passing.
Targeting Foolio’s Mother: Foolio’s mother claimed she has been targeted eight times and alleged that Yungeen Ace was the culprit in one of the shooting incidents, leading to police questioning him while he was on supervised release.
Canceled Tours: Yungeen Ace’s recent decision to cancel all upcoming tour dates is seen by many, including law enforcement, as either a defensive measure to avoid a federal travel ban or as the government attempting to cut off his income in preparation for a major court case.

Jacksonville police publicly acknowledged that Yungeen Ace and his crew are constantly monitored, stating, “He can’t move around in Jacksonville without us knowing about him.” Yungeen Ace, for his part, has publicly denied the ATK/1200 gang existence, but his history of rivalry and the mounting evidence have created a dangerous legal situation.

The Revenge Motive

While Yungeen Ace and Foolio had a long-standing feud, many believe the hit was revenge for the 2022 death of ATK Mitch, a close friend of Ace’s. Foolio had been questioned by federal prosecutors regarding Mitch’s passing.

In a seemingly manipulative move, Foolio and his crew thought Ace was trying to end the violence, which may have led Foolio to drop his guard and post his whereabouts that night. Now, with the feds reportedly having evidence that Ace paid five hitmen to carry out the murder, the situation has escalated from a rap beef to a capital offense investigation.