Nelly's Lawyer Denies Rapper Was Charged with Drug Possession After St. Louis Arrest, Says Officer Was 'Out of Line'

Mar. 15, 2025

Nelly performs during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in May 2023.Photo:Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage

Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage

Nelly’s lawyer is speaking out following the rapper’sarrest in the St. Louis areathis week.

On Wednesday, Aug. 7, hours after Nelly (born Cornell Haynes Jr.), 49, was booked for failure to appear on an old traffic charge and on a charge of possession of a controlled substance, his attorney, Scott Rosenblum, released a statement to PEOPLE denying the latter.

“Mr. Haynes was not charged with drug possession,” the statement reads, despite Nelly’sonline arrest recordshowing otherwise. “He was arrested for ‘No Proof of Insurance’ from 2018 on a warrant issued December 2023 that he received no notice.”

“Instead of just supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes' winnings, this officer felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants,” the statement claimed. “The officer informed Mr. Haynes a background check was mandated when a player won over a certain amount.”

The attorney alleged that Nelly “knew this to be untrue” after winning “several jackpots for similar or greater amounts” in the past, including “one just a week prior without [incident] or a background check.”

Nelly attends the ACM Honors in August 2023 in Nashville.Jason Kempin/Getty

Jason Kempin/Getty

“Once Mr. Haynes was informed of the warrant for a No Proof of Insurance infraction, this officer felt compelled to handcuff Mr. Haynes behind his back and parade him through the casino in front of other patrons,” Rosenblum’s statement claimed.

He then alleged that the arresting officer “conducted a search without probable cause, where he claimed to have found alleged ‘ecstasy’ in Mr. Haynes' personal property.” Under similar circumstances, the lawyer claimed that “any other citizen” would have been “told to address it and allowed to go on their way” for having no proof of insurance.

Additionally, as part of international travel requirements, Rosenblum noted that Nelly is “regularly asked to supply proof of no warrants,” including “FBI checks,” claiming “there were none.”

“I am 100% confident this case will go nowhere,” the attorney’s statement concluded. “And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”

Nelly’s mugshot on August 7, 2024.Maryland Heights Police Department

Maryland Heights Police Department

This isn’t the first time Nelly has run into trouble with the law. He’s previously faced multiple sexual assault allegations, including in October 2017 when he was arrested after a woman named Monique Greene claimed the rapperassaulted her on his tour busin Washington.

At the time, a rep for Nelly denied the allegations to PEOPLE via a statement from his lawyer, claiming that the woman’s accusation was “a completely fabricated allegation” and they were confident he wouldn’t be charged.

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“Nelly was one of several individuals that was on a tour bus that was stopped and searched while traveling through Tennessee," his lawyer Rosenblum said in a statement at the time. “In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop. Allegedly, a small quantity of contraband (MDMA aka molly or ecstasy) was discovered during the routine search.”

Nelly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges, but they were eventually dismissed from his record after completing a diversion program.

Nelly and Ashanti attend Usher’s “Coming Home” album release event in February 2024 in Atlanta.Prince Williams/WireImage

Prince Williams/WireImage

Nelly is currently expecting hisfifth child, his first withAshanti, whom hesecretly marriedin December 2023.

“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation,” Ashanti told the publication. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”

source: people.com