Back in August, rapper Nelly was arrested in the St. Louis area and was facing charges that included possession of ecstasy. Well, now it looks like the “Country Grammar” artist is out of legal harm’s way as a spokesperson for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told TMZ Hip Hop, “We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges.”
As previously reported, Nelly, born Cornell Haynes II, was arrested at the Hollywood Casino in St. Charles by Missouri State Highway Patrol’s gaming division troopers who had asked him to produce his ID, which revealed a 2018 warrant for failure to appear in court. According to TMZ, the arrest occurred moments after the 49-year-old hit $50K on a slot machine — which is just rotten luck for someone who had just gotten lucky AF. After detaining Nelly, officers allegedly found four ecstasy pills in his possession.
At the time, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said his client was “targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,” and complained about the “Hot In Herre” rapper being paraded around in handcuffs. In the wake of his client avoiding the charges he faced, Rosenblum explained that, upon closer investigation, prosecutors found pursuing charges was unnecessary.
“Wesley Bell, the prosecuting attorney, and his office looked at all the circumstances and after a fair and impartial review of the evidence, declined to prosecute,” Rosenblum told TMZ.
Honestly, the wildest thing about this story is that people are still getting popped for ecstasy possession in 2024. It’s like an early 2000s drug-related crisis making a comeback two decades later.
Anyway, fortunately for Nelly, he was able to get out of the arrest without catching charges. (One can’t help but wonder if he was still able to cash in on that $50K though.)
Stay safe out there, folks.