Rapper NBA YoungBoy faces up to 10 years as federal weapons case moves to Utah

Rapper NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, has agreed to plead guilty to a federal weapons charge following the transfer of his case from Louisiana to Utah, where he faces unrelated charges related to a prescription drug fraud ring. 

In court documents filed last week, Gaulden waived his right to a trial in Baton Rouge, prompting U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick to close the Louisiana case and transfer jurisdiction to the federal court in Salt Lake City.

Prosecutors allege that Gaulden, a convicted felon, was in possession of a handgun while filming a music video in Baton Rouge in 2020. 

The rapper was one of 15 individuals arrested after more than a dozen firearms were seized from the video set. Gaulden, 24, now faces up to 10 years in prison on the weapons charge.

This legal move allows the federal government to prosecute Gaulden in Utah, where he was charged earlier this year with over 60 felony counts tied to a "large scale prescription fraud ring."

Gaulden, also known by his stage name YoungBoy Never Broke Again, had been living under house arrest in Utah while awaiting his Louisiana trial. 

Since May 10, he has been held without bond at the Weber County Jail, located north of Salt Lake City, as he awaits trial in the drug case.

NBA YoungBoy is a prominent figure in the music industry, boasting four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and a Top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

His notable tracks include “38 Baby,” “Outside Today,” and his feature on Tyler, The Creator's “Wusyaname,” which earned a Grammy nomination in 2022 for Best Melodic Rap Performance.