Missouri State Highway Patrol officers arrested American rapper Nelly for drug possession in St. Louis at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, Page Six reported.
A spokesperson for local law enforcement said the singer was arrested inside Hollywood Casino in St. Charles after they ran a background check, according to Page Six. The background check reportedly revealed an outstanding warrant for lack of insurance from a previous traffic stop. Officers then allegedly discovered Nelly was in possession of four ecstasy pills and charged him with possession of a controlled substance, according to Page Six.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – SEPTEMBER 02: Nelly performs on stage at PNE Amphitheatre on September 02, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
Nelly is a regular at the casino in which he was detained by police, Billboard reported, citing a source close to the situation. The individual went on to claim Nelly was handcuffed inside and was then paraded around the casino while in police custody, according to the outlet.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Rapper Nelly performs during the 2022 Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
The casino’s verification check is reportedly standard protocol in Missouri casinos and was executed in accordance with the gaming commission regulations. Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was taken into police custody and appeared in a mugshot wearing a white t-shirt, a black hoodie and a silver chain. He was subsequently charged with driving without insurance for an infraction which dates back six years, according to Billboard.
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The famous hit singer was released from police custody at the time of this writing, according to documents obtained by Page Six.
Nelly has not apparently addressed the matter publicly nor posted information on his social media accounts.
It’s unclear how much his bond was set at and no upcoming court date information has been shared at time of writing.
The rapper is expecting his first child with Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas-Haynes after rekindling their on-again, off-again romance in April 2023.
