According to a prosecutor, Nelly will not be charged with drug-related offenses after his arrest earlier this summer at a casino near St. Louis.
In a statement released on Tuesday, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell provided the update. “We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges.” Nelly, 49, born Cornell Haynes II, has his roots in the local community. His attorney, Scott Rosenblum, claimed that the search resulting in Nelly’s arrest in August was unjustified.
The office of Bell did not provide further details on the rationale behind the choice not to pursue charges. In an email sent on Wednesday, Rosenblum stated that Bell’s conclusion came after “a thorough and unbiased examination of the evidence.”
Nelly was taken into custody at 4:45 a.m. on August 7 while attempting to claim several jackpots he had won at the Hollywood Casino & Hotel in Maryland Heights, Missouri. A trooper stationed at the casino informed him that a warrant check was necessary when a gambler wins above a certain threshold. However, Rosenblum argued that such a warrant check is not required in this context.
A background check revealed that a judge had issued a warrant in December related to a 2018 offense for driving without proof of insurance. Due to this outstanding warrant, Nelly was arrested and subsequently searched, during which the officer reportedly discovered four ecstasy pills. Authorities had intended to charge him with felony possession of a controlled substance.
On a positive note, the insurance-related charge has been settled; Rosenblum confirmed that it was dismissed after Nelly provided evidence of his valid car insurance.