NBA YoungBoy pleads guilty to drug fraud charges
NBA YoungBoy has pled guilty to two counts of third-degree felony identity fraud, two counts of third-degree felony forgery and six counts of misdemeanour unlawful pharmacy conduct.
The rapper (real name Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) played a role in a prescription drug fraud ring out of his home in Huntsville, Utah.
According to WNCT, the Baton Rouge-born artist entered a “no contest” plea to the remaining charges, with his four felony charges reduced to misdemeanours. NBA YoungBoy won’t have to spend any time in Utah State Prison and was ordered to pay a fine of $25,000.
Prosecutor Ronnie Keller said, “This is somewhat of a unique case where there have been multiple jurisdictions involved, both multiple jurisdictions in the federal and the state systems. This is just part, really, of a smaller cog in the bigger wheel of ultimately seeking justice.”
NBA YoungBoy is expected to serve 27 months in federal prison for related charges, so Logan District Judge Spencer Walsh agreed to a suspended prison sentence. He’ll then be placed on five years of probation.
“I’ve seen so many times where you have young men and women who have a lot of talent and potential that they can be robbed of that potential when they start to really struggle with their addictions – I don’t want that for you,” Walsh said.
He continued, “I’m sure that in your future, once you’re done with your federal prison time, you can be really successful on federal probation and have a really bright future where you can reach your full potential in every aspect of your life. Best of luck to you, Mr. Gaulden.”
NBA YoungBoy was initially hit with 46 charges in the Logan District Court. The rapper moved to Utah on house arrest relating to his alleged involvement in a Miami shooting in 2019. Lawyers argued that relocating to the state would keep him out of trouble.
Earlier this year, an affidavit claimed YoungBoy was running an operation that saw a suspect call in a prescription, claiming the identity of a real doctor and using a fraudulent patient name and birthday, all for Promethazine with Codeine.