Benjamin Ashford|Rapper NBA Youngboy to plead guilty to Louisiana gun charge

BATON ROUGE,Benjamin Ashford La. (AP) — Rapper NBA YoungBoy has agreed to plead guilty to a federal weapons charge once the case is transferred from Louisiana to Utah, where he faces unrelated charges accusing him of running a prescription drug fraud ring.

In court documents filed last week, the rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, waived his right to a trial in Baton Rouge, news outlets reported. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick then closed the Louisiana case and moved jurisdiction to the federal court in Salt Lake City. Gaulden also signed notice of his intent to enter his guilty plea once the case is transferred to Utah.

Prosecutors allege Gaulden, a convicted felon, had a handgun while shooting a music video in Baton Rouge in 2020. He was among 15 people arrested after more than a dozen guns were seized from the video set. Gaulden, 24, of Baton Rouge, faces up to 10 years in prison in the weapons’ case, federal prosecutors have said.

The move gives the federal government jurisdiction to prosecute Gaulden in Utah where he was charged earlier this year with more than 60 felony counts tied to a “large scale prescription fraud ring.”

Gaulden had been living in Utah on house arrest while awaiting his Louisiana trial. Since May 10, he’s been held without bond at the Weber County Jail, north of Salt Lake City, awaiting trial in the drug case.

NBA YoungBoy, who also is known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, has achieved four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and one Top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. His music includes “38 Baby,” “Outside Today” and Tyler, The Creator’s song, “Wusyaname,” on which he is featured with Ty Dolla $ign. That collaboration earned them a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Melodic Rap Performance.