Rapper Nelly was arrested early Wednesday (August 7) in Maryland Heights, Missouri, for drug possession and an outstanding insurance violation.
The arrest occurred around 4:45 a.m. at the Hollywood Casino. Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, claimed the artist was unfairly targeted by an “overzealous” officer who conducted an improper search.
According to Rosenblum, Nelly had won several jackpots at the casino that night. While collecting his winnings, the officer overseeing the money transfer ran a search for warrants and discovered an outstanding warrant from June 2018 for driving without proper insurance.
Rosenblum stated that the officer then “felt compelled” to publicly escort Nelly through the casino with his hands cuffed behind his back. During a subsequent search, the officer allegedly found four ecstasy pills in Nelly’s possession.
“I am 100% confident this case will go nowhere,” Rosenblum asserted. “We will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.” He also mentioned that “any other citizen would have been told to address [the warrant] and allowed to go on their way.”
This incident is not Nelly’s first legal trouble. In 2015, he faced felony drug charges in Tennessee, which were later reduced to a misdemeanor drug possession charge. The conviction was expunged after less than a year of probation. In October 2017, Nelly was arrested outside Seattle on suspicion of rape. The accuser filed a lawsuit, which was settled in 2018 with both parties dropping their suits.
The arrest at the Missouri casino adds another chapter to Nelly’s complex legal history.
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