Rapper NBA YoungBoy pleads guilty in Utah prescription drug fraud ring
LOGAN, Utah — A Louisiana rap artist pleaded guilty Monday for his role in a large-scale prescription drug fraud ring that operated out of his multimillion-dollar home in Utah.
Rapper NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, walked into a Logan, Utah courtroom with his head bowed as he made his plea for his part in the alleged scheme. KTVX-TV reports.
The 25-year-old rapper was originally charged in Logan District Court with 46 charges related on the alleged crime. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree identity fraud, two counts of third-degree forgery and six counts of unlawful pharmacy conduct. Gaulden has entered a no contest plea to the remaining charges.
As part of a plea agreement, Gaulden will not serve prison time in Utah. Instead, his four misdemeanor charges were reduced to Class A misdemeanors and he was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, the television station reported.
District Judge Spencer Walsh agreed to suspend a prison sentence as Gaulden is expected to serve a “substantial” 27 months in federal prison on related charges in a case arising out of Weber County, Utah. After his release, Gaulden will be on probation for five years under federal supervision.
“This is a somewhat unique case that has involved multiple jurisdictions in both the federal and state systems,” said District Attorney Ronnie Keller. “This is really just a smaller cog in the larger wheel of ultimately seeking justice.”
Gaulden had been living under house arrest in Utah after previously allegedly being involved in a shooting in Miami in 2019. His move to Utah came as part of a 2021 deal in which his lawyers argued that “moving to Utah would keep YoungBoy out of trouble.”
During his hearing Monday, Walsh said it was clear Gaulden was a very talented young man.
“I have seen so many times that you have young men and women with a lot of talent and potential. They can be robbed of that potential if they really start to struggle with their addictions,” Walsh told Gaulden. “I don’t want that for you.”
Walsh went on to say, “I am confident that in the future, once you are done with your federal prison sentence, you can be truly successful on federal probation and have a very bright future where you can realize your full potential in every aspect of can achieve in life. your life. Good luck to you, Mr. Gaulden.”
Gaulden, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again and has had four 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 ‘Outside Today’. ‘ and Tyler, The Creator’s song, ‘Wusyaname’, which features him with Ty Dolla $ign. That collaboration earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance in 2022.
Billboard reported that only pop star Taylor Swift and rapper Drake had more streams in 2022, despite Gaulden having almost no radio airplay. According to Spotify, Gaulden did more than 16 million monthly listeners.