Nelly has been scooped up by law enforcement agencies amid expecting his first child with singer Ashanti. The rapper suffered an embarrassing arrest for possessing illicit drugs while in Missouri. Nelly’s reputation of late has been mostly positive due to his reconciled romance with the Foolish songstress.
The bust happened on Wednesday morning around 4:45 in Maryland Heights, a suburb close to Nelly’s hometown. Per TMZ, the artist showed up at the Hollywood Casino in St. Charles, where officers of the Missouri State Highway Patrol were stationed. As part of the Missouri Gaming Commission regulations, the cops asked Nelly for his ID and ran it through the system for verification purposes. Unfortunately, they discovered he had a warrant from a previous traffic stop for having no vehicle insurance.
Authorities proceeded to search Nelly and found four Ecstasy pills on him. The singer, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was booked for felony drug possession and the warrant for no vehicle insurance. A mugshot from the arrest showed the Hot In Herre artist in a black hoodie with bloodshot eyes. He was mostly expressionless. He was later released with no bail payment.
Nelly’s Lawyer Slams The Arrest: ‘He Was Targeted’
Following the arrest, Nelly’s attorney spoke up, claiming his client was “targeted by an overzealous, out-of-line officer.” Lawyer Scott Rosenblum alleged the 49-year-old was singled out because he won a jackpot at the casino. The cops reportedly lied to the rapper and said that they had to run a background check before handing him his win. However, Rosenblum argues that background checks aren’t standard procedures because Nelly has had bigger wins in the past.
After conducting a background check, Nelly’s lawyer said the cops put him in handcuffs and paraded him in front of other gamblers. The arresting officer then searched him without probable cause, claiming to have seen the stimulant drug. As for the outstanding warrant, Rosenblum explained to TMZ that his client was not given notice of the warrant that was issued back in 2018. The Texas native is yet to be charged with drug possession. Luckily, his lawyer believes the case will be knocked out of the park. Maybe Nelly will be able to turn things around before it negatively affects things with Ashanti.
