Rapper Nelly was arrested Wednesday in St. Louis. Although an online arrest record and several outlets have reported that he was allegedly in possession of four ecstasy pills, his lawyer has refuted the claims.
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“Mr. Haynes was not charged with drug possession,” said Attorney Scott Rosenblum in a statement. “He was arrested for ‘No Proof of Insurance’ from 2018 on a warrant issued December 2023 that he received no notice.”
Rosenblum said that Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr., had won several jackpots at an unnamed venue he frequently visits and that instead of “supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes’ winnings,” an officer “felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants.”
Once Nelly was made aware of the warrant for lack of insurance, per his lawyer, the officer handcuffed the rapper and proceeded to “parade him through the casino in front of other patrons.” Rosenblum said that the officer also conducted a search of Nelly without probable cause and claimed to have found him in possession of “ecstasy.”
Rosenblum said the rapper had been “targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,” and stated that “any other citizen would have been told to address it and allowed to go on their way.”
His attorney added that he is “100% confident this case will go nowhere,” and that he “will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”
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The three-time Grammy winner, known for chart hits such as “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” was previously arrested in April 2015 and faced felony drug charges in Tennessee after a search of his tour bus uncovered methamphetamines and marijuana.
“I feel the need to take responsibility for my choices in needing to be more aware of all the people I associate with and allow onto my property while committing to making better choices moving forward,” Nelly said in a statement following the 2015 arrest. “While my instinct, of course, is to be accessible to my friends, fans and acquaintances, the last thing I would want to do is compromise the respect and admiration of friends, family and fans.” Nelly later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
The artist was also arrested in October 2017 after a woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her on his tour bus in Washington. A lawyer for Nelly at the time called the allegation “fabricated” and “devoid of credibility.”
Prosecutors dropped the case in September 2018 after the woman decided not to participate in the investigation.
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