Nelly Cleared of Charges Following Arrest at St. Louis Casino

Nelly will not face charges after being arrested earlier this year. According to the Associated Press, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell decided against pressing charges after “a fair and impartial review of the evidence.”

The rapper, legally known as Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was initially detained in August in his hometown at a St. Louis-area casino. The arrest came after authorities discovered four ecstasy pills on him and issued a citation for an unresolved insurance infraction linked to an older traffic citation.

Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, has since argued that the arrest was a result of unnecessary targeting. Rosenblum detailed that Nelly was simply collecting winnings at a casino he frequents, a venue that often hosts him for performances. After hitting several jackpots, an officer reportedly felt compelled to run a warrant check, allegedly explaining to Nelly that a background check was required for large winnings.

The resulting inquiry brought up an unpaid traffic summons from 2018, and during the arrest process, Nelly was subjected to what Rosenblum described as an unwarranted search, leading to the ecstasy discovery. Rosenblum emphasized that Nelly had previously won jackpots of similar sizes without incident, which, he argues, adds to the irregularity of the recent search.

With this incident largely resolved, Nelly is focusing on his family life with wife Ashanti and their newborn son, Kareem Kenkaide Haynes. Ashanti recently opened up about their relationship, saying,

“I [now] have my soulmate, my person, my best friend, my protector. It’s an amazing feeling. The universe doesn’t make mistakes.”

She added that Nelly has taught her valuable lessons about gratitude and grace.

This cleared path lets Nelly move forward with renewed energy for his career and family.