(AP) Rapper Nelly was arrested early Wednesday at a casino near St. Louis, where the Missouri Highway Patrol said officers found four illegal ecstasy pills in his possession. The rapper’s lawyer said “overzealous” officers targeted him and conducted an improper search.
The arrest took place at about 4:45 a.m., and Nelly, 49, was detained by police in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and later released, police said in a brief online report. The St. Louis suburb is home to the Hollywood Casino & Hotel, and Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said in a statement Wednesday evening that the rapper, who grew up in the area, visits there frequently.
According to online Missouri court records, Nelly, whose birth name is Cornell Haynes II, was charged with operating a vehicle without proper proof of insurance in Maryland Heights in June 2018. A judge issued a warrant in December 2023, but it remains outstanding.
According to Rosenblum, Nelly had won multiple jackpots at the casino, and when she tried to collect her money, the officers who were supposed to be supervising the transaction “unnecessarily” searched for an arrest warrant. Upon finding an outstanding warrant, the officers handcuffed Nelly’s hands behind his back and “felt the need to drag him around the casino in front of other patrons,” Rosenblum said.
Nelly’s lawyers said what the officers found was “alleged ecstasy” and that the officers had no probable cause to search Nelly. Nelly was not informed of the warrant and did not know about it, Rosenblum said.
“I’m 100% confident that this case will not be solved,” Rosenblum said. “We will be calling for an investigation into this officer’s actions.”
The Highway Patrol report did not provide any details about the arrest, and Maryland Heights police did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday.
Rosenblum said that in a similar situation, “any other citizen would have been instructed to deal with the issue and then allowed to walk away.”
Nelly, a three-time Grammy Award winner, is known for hits such as “Hot in Herre” and “Just a Dream.” He has had four number one hits and nine Billboard Music Awards. He recently A series of performances Janet Jackson will be joining her on the tour as a special guest.
He won Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Male Solo Rap Performance in 2002, and that same year “Nellyville” was nominated for both Best Rap Album and Album of the Year, and the following year won a Grammy Award for Best Duo/Group Rap Performance for “Shake Ya Tailfeather.”
In addition to her recording career, Nelly has appeared in numerous films and television series, including the sports film The Longest Yard and a BET reality show featuring her family. Engaged He is married to singer and actor Ashanti and the couple are expecting a baby.
April 2015, Nelly He was arrested and indicted on felony drug charges. He was arrested in Tennessee after the bus he was traveling in was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol east of Nashville, and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was placed on probation and able to have his record cleared within a year.
Nelly was also arrested in Auburn, Washington, south of Seattle, in October 2017. A woman reported that Nelly Sexual assault Nelly allegedly punched her on his tour bus. Rosenblum said at the time that the allegations were fabricated. The woman sued Nelly, who countersued, and the two sides settled in September 2018.
