Rapper NBA YoungBoy to Plead Guilty to Federal Weapons Charge, Faces Drug Fraud Charges in Utah

Rapper NBA YoungBoy, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, has agreed to plead guilty to a federal weapons charge as his case is transferred from Louisiana to Utah. The rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, waived his right to a trial in Baton Rouge and signed notice of his intent to enter a guilty plea once the case is moved to Utah.

The charges stem from an incident in 2020 where Gaulden, a convicted felon, was found with a handgun while shooting a music video in Baton Rouge. He was one of 15 people arrested after multiple guns were seized from the video set. Gaulden, 24, faces up to 10 years in prison in the weapons case.

The transfer of the case to Utah gives the federal government jurisdiction to prosecute Gaulden in connection with more than 60 felony counts related to a prescription drug fraud ring. He had been living in Utah on house arrest while awaiting his Louisiana trial but has been held without bond at the Weber County Jail since May 10.

Despite his legal troubles, NBA YoungBoy has achieved significant success in the music industry, with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign on Tyler, The Creator’s song, “Wusyaname.” His popular tracks include “38 Baby” and “Outside Today.”