Things got "Hot In Herre" for Hip-Hop icon Nelly early Wednesday morning (8/8), when he was apparently arrested in his hometown of St. Louis, MO after police allegedly found a controlled substance in his possession. Or so the story goes…
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According to an online arrest report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Nelly -- born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. -- was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance after he was found with four ecstasy pills. Reports say the rapper was visiting the Hollywood Casino St. Louis, and a police spokesperson says when his information was reviewed by an officer of the state gaming commission, an outstanding traffic warrant was revealed. During his subsequent search and arrest, the four pills were found. At 4:45 AM, Nelly was detained and booked on felony drug possession and a warrant for no vehicle insurance.
His legal counsel, Attorney Scott Rosenblum, however, has vehemently refuted these claims stating on Wednesday night, “Mr. Haynes [Nelly] was not charged with drug possession. He was arrested for ‘No Proof of Insurance’ from 2018 on a warrant issued December 2023 that he received no notice.” Rosenblum adds that Nelly had been quite lucky that night and instead of state officers “supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes’ winnings,” they “felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants.”
"The officer informed Mr. Haynes a background check was mandated when a player won over a certain amount. Mr. Haynes knew this to be untrue as he had won several jackpots for similar or greater amounts," he says. Once handcuffed officers “parade[ed] him through the casino in front of other patrons,” searched him without probable cause, and claimed to have found him in possession of said “ecstasy” pills.
“100% confident this case will go nowhere,” Rosenblum says the rapper was “targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,” and believes “any other citizen would have been told to address it and allowed to go on their way.” He says he will also be asking for “an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”
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