Nelly’s Attorney Claims He Was Targeted In Ecstasy Arrest, Here’s Why
Nelly was arrested this week for ecstasy possession, to the shock of many. His attorney recently spoke out claiming that the 49-year-old rapper was targeted for a big win at the casino and his celebrity status.
“After winning several jackpots, at a venue where Mr. Haynes frequently visits and entertains at its amphitheater; instead of just supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes’ winnings, this officer felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants,” his lawyer Scott Rosenblum told Page Six. “The officer informed Mr. Haynes a background check was mandated when a player won over a certain amount; Mr. Haynes knew this to be untrue as he had won several jackpots for similar or greater amounts including one just a week prior without incident or a background check.”
Rosenblum referred to the officer as “overzealous” and “out of line,” believing they would not have operated this way with a normal civilian. Upon conducting the background check, they discovered that the St. Louis artist had an active warrant for not having insurance during a traffic stop in 2018. Rosenblum claims that as the officer prepared to take him into custody, they searched him “without probable cause” which led to them finding the ecstasy pills.
“I am 100 percent confident this case will go nowhere,” Scott Rosenblum said. “And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.” He boosted his claim by revealing that Nelly often travels internationally and is required to prove that he has no active warrants, including times when he has been checked by the FBI. Thus, he had no prior knowledge of the active warrant.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested the RIAA Diamond-certified artist Wednesday morning (Aug. 7). They claimed that the verification check following a major gambling victory was standard across all casinos in the state under their gaming commission regulations.
This is a less than opportune time for legal troubles as Nelly has been in the honeymoon phase with his old flame Ashanti. The recently rekindled couple got married last year and is expecting their first child.
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