Nelly won’t face drug charges, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney’s office confirms
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — An attorney for Nelly said Tuesday that he does not expect the rapper to face drug charges from his arrest earlier this year at Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis.
Scott Rosenblum also said he expects Maryland Heights will dismiss a charge against the rapper for not having vehicle insurance, after he provided proof to the municipal court that he was insured.
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell's office on Tuesday night confirmed they would not be filing charges. Through a spokesman, Bell said they do not "believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges."
Rosenblum's comments came after a scheduled court hearing for Nelly, whose birth name is Cornell Haynes II, on a previous charge of not having proof of vehicle insurance from 2018.
Nelly was arrested on an outstanding warrant for the charge early Aug. 7 at the casino in Maryland Heights while collecting his winnings.
In Missouri, the troopers at the casino are assigned to the Highway Patrol's Gaming Division. Nelly was then handed off to Maryland Heights police.
Rosenblum has said the rapper was "targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer" while he was collecting his winnings from several jackpots he won at the casino. A Missouri Highway Patrol officer overseeing the payout ran his name for warrants.
While the Missouri Highway Patrol officer told Nelly the warrant run was required when a player won more than a certain amount of money, Rosenblum said Nelly "knew this to be untrue" because he had collected several jackpots without a background check.
During his 4:45 a.m. arrest, officers searched him and found what they believed were four pills of ecstasy, an illegal drug. Police applied to the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney's office to charge Nelly with felony possession of a controlled substance.
"My information is that the prosecuting attorney's office has taken a fair and impartial look at the case and has decided not to go forward," Rosenblum said.
Rosenblum also said he provided proof of Nelly's car insurance to the court and that the case was dismissed.
Court records showed a hearing in the case Tuesday was rescheduled for Jan. 13. The Maryland Heights municipal court declined further comment.
Nelly, 49, grew up in the St. Louis area and got involved with the music scene in the 1990s. He later released hits like "Hot in Herre" and "Ride Wit Me."
The rapper has had a few run-ins with the law. He was arrested in 2015 after authorities said they found marijuana on his tour bus in Tennessee. Nelly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession, but that was later cleared from his criminal record after he completed a diversion program.
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