NBA Rapper YoungBoy Pleads Guilty in Louisiana Gun Possession Case

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Rapper NBA YoungBoy has agreed to plead guilty to a federal gun charge because the case is transferred from Louisiana to Utah, where he faces unrelated charges including leading a prescription drug fraud ring.

In court documents filed last week, the rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, waived his right to a trial in Baton Rouge, media outlets reported. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick then closed the case in Louisiana and transferred jurisdiction to federal court in Salt Lake City. Gaulden also signed a notice of intent to plead guilty after the case was transferred to Utah.

Prosecutors say Gaulden, a convicted felon, had a firearm on him while filming a music video in Baton Rouge in 2020. He was amongst 15 people arrested after greater than a dozen weapons were seized from the set. Gaulden, 24, of Baton Rouge, faces as much as 10 years in prison in the weapons case, federal prosecutors said.

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The decision gives the federal government jurisdiction to prosecute Gaulden in Utah, where he was charged earlier this 12 months with greater than 60 felonies related to a “massive prescription fraud” scheme.

Gaulden had been under house arrest in Utah while awaiting trial in Louisiana. He had been held without bail in the Weber County Jail, north of Salt Lake City, since May 10, awaiting trial in a drug case.

NBA YoungBoy, also generally known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, has achieved 4 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and one top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. His music includes “38 Baby,” “Outside Today,” and Tyler, The Creator’s song “Wusyaname,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The collaboration earned them a 2022 Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance.