Rapper NBA YoungBoy pleads guilty to participating in prescription drug fraud in Utah
According to reports, rapper NBA YoungBoy has admitted guilt in a prescription drug fraud scheme operating in Utah.
The 25-year-old artist, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, pleaded guilty to four counts of felony identity theft and forgery, which were downgraded to Class A misdemeanors. He also faced six counts of unlawful pharmacy practices, as reported by Utah’s KTVX and KSL-TV. Additionally, he entered a “no contest” plea for other charges related to identity and pharmacy fraud as well as forgery, according to KSL.
As a part of a plea agreement, Gaulden will not serve time in prison but is required to pay a fine of $25,000, the reports indicated.
Judge Spencer Walsh of Logan District has temporarily suspended the rapper’s prison sentence. This decision comes as he is expected to receive a 27-month sentence in a different federal case in Utah, followed by five years of supervised probation, as reported.
Gaulden, known to fans as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, was arrested in Utah while under house arrest back in April.
Records reviewed by YSL News revealed that he was apprehended in Cache County on several charges, which included unlawful activity, attempting to obtain drugs, identity fraud, forgery, possession of controlled substances, and having a dangerous weapon as a restricted person. Following these charges, he was taken into federal custody for related crimes, as reported by KSL.
The “Make No Sense” artist has been on house arrest since October 2021 due to a different federal case, as disclosed in court documents obtained by YSL News.
Throughout his career, the rapper has faced multiple legal issues, including two attempted murder charges from 2016 when he was a teenager. Those charges were later reduced to aggravated assault with a firearm, which resulted in a suspended 10-year prison sentence along with probation. His other legal troubles include a 2018 incident involving assault and kidnapping, a 2019 assault and battery case, and a shooting incident in Miami the same year.
In a separate federal drug and firearm case from 2020, Gaulden faced arrest in March 2021 for an alleged gun possession incident in Los Angeles. He was tried for that case in July 2022, where he was found not guilty according to court records. Earlier this year, he also pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge.