UPDATE: (7/15/22 6:00 pm EST)
NBA YoungBoy was found not guilty in the federal weapons case against him on Friday, July 15. Per TMZ, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and NBA’s lawyer, Andre Belanger, both confirmed the verdict, which came after a three-day trial. Andre told TMZ that NBA openly cried when he heard the verdict, and said on the way out of the courtroom, “I was never guilty of this.”
NBA YoungBoy has been released from prison six months after his arrest. The rapper, also known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again (born Kentrell Gaulden), 22, was released in Louisiana on Friday, Oct. 22 with “significant conditions” following his arrest for illegal possession of firearms by a felon and possession of an unregistered weapon.
The rapper was granted $1.5 million bail and placed under house arrest, among other strict conditions, as he awaits trial in his native Louisiana, his lawyer confirmed to Rolling Stone on Friday. The rapper has been placed under 24-hour house arrest in Utah, where he owns a home, according to Louisiana’s daily newspaper The Advocate. He also has to make an appearance before a judge in Los Angeles next week.
The “Bandit” rapper was arrested in Los Angeles in March. The arrest stemmed from a drug and gun bust from September 2020 in Louisiana. The authorities claimed that the rapper had a .45 pistol and unregistered 9mm handgun on him when he was arrested for possession of drugs in Baton Rouge.
Because he had previous felonies on his record, including aggravated assault, YoungBoy was arrested for possession of the firearms. The judge presiding over the case initially ruled to have the rapper remain in jail as he awaited trial, claiming that YoungBoy was “inclined toward reckless, illegal, dangerous behavior” and that no amount of bond would ensure public safety. His lawyers convinced the judge to reconsider the ruling, arguing that YoungBoy would not be a threat to himself or others if placed under strict conditions, including house arrest, according to The Advocate.
YoungBoy has released three studio albums and 15 mixtapes throughout the course of his career. The rapper’s debut album Until Death Call My Name charted on the top 10 of the Billboard 200 when it came out in 2018, with his most recent album, Sincerely, Kentrell, charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart earlier this month. He has collaborated with the likes of Juice WRLD, and recently teased that he would collaborate with Drake. The rapper is also a father to seven children with former partners.