Missouri state police say they arrested rap star Nelly on August 7 in the wee hours of the morning.
Details are not clear, but it appears that Nelly, whose actual name is Cornell Haynes Jr., had a previous warrant for arrest for failing to produce proof of insurance. That sounds like a motor vehicle violation, but this has not been confirmed.
The singer was taken into custody at the Hollywood Casino located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, where he was gambling. Police made contact with Nelly for what is being described as an “identification verification procedure” that is supposedly required by the state board that regulates gambling and casinos.
The Missouri Highway Patrol released a statement saying that, during this identification process, they discovered that the rapper had an “active warrant” in the same jurisdiction, and that he was “arrested without incident.”
But during the arrest Nelly was found to have “four pills” on his person. Police say that a “preliminary investigation” found that the pills were the party drug “ecstasy.” Also known as MDMA or “Molly,” the drug is both a stimulant and a hallucinogen that produces feelings of euphoria as well as stoking amorous inclinations.
Nelly is best known for hit songs such as “Air Force Ones” and “Hot in Here.” He was initially taken to a local jail but was eventually released.
Nelly’s lawyer Scott Rosenblum called the arresting officer “out of line” and said his client was being targeted by overzealous cops. Rosenblum stressed that Nelly was not charged with drug possession. Instead, he was handcuffed for an outstanding warrant from 2018. Rosenblum said Nelly had never received notice about this warrant.
Rosenblum also claims the cops did not need to run an identity check to comply with supposed gambling regulations. The officer “needlessly” ran a warrant check, he said. The claim that the check was required by law for those who win more than a certain amount was false, the lawyer said.
