NBA Youngboy entered court today for his involvement in a significant prescription drug fraud operation that was reportedly ran from his residence in Huntsville.
The 25-year-old rapper faced a total of 46 charges in the Logan District Court pertaining to the allegations against him. On Monday, Youngboy pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree felony identity fraud, two counts of third-degree felony forgery, and six counts of misdemeanor unlawful pharmacy conduct. He also entered a “no contest” plea for the other charges he faced.
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Under the terms of the plea agreement, Youngboy will not be required to serve time in the Utah State Prison. His four felony charges were downgraded to Class A misdemeanors, and he was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000. Logan District Judge Spencer Walsh agreed to suspend Youngboy’s prison sentence, noting that he is anticipated to serve 27 months in federal prison for related charges in a separate federal case. Upon his release, Youngboy will be subject to five years of federal supervised probation.
“This is somewhat of a unique case where there have been multiple jurisdictions involved both multiple jurisdictions in the federal and the state systems,” said state prosecutor Ronnie Keller. “This is just part really a smaller cog and the bigger wheel of ultimately seeking justice.”
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Born in Louisiana, Youngboy rose to prominence in the music industry, with Billboard reporting that in 2022, only Taylor Swift and Drake surpassed his streaming numbers, despite his minimal radio airplay. According to Spotify, the Baton Rouge rapper boasts over 16 million monthly listeners.
Youngboy had been residing in Utah under house arrest following allegations of his involvement in a 2019 shooting in Miami. His move to Utah was part of a legal agreement in 2021, where his attorneys contended that relocating would help keep him out of trouble.
During Monday morning’s hearing, Judge Walsh stated that the rapper is a talented individual.
“I’ve seen so many times where you have young men and women who have a lot of talent and potential that they can be robbed of that potential when they start to really struggle with their addictions,” Walsh told the rapper. “I don’t want that for you.”
Walsh continued saying, “I’m sure that in your future, once you’re done with your federal prison time, you can be really successful on federal probation and have a really bright future where you can reach your full potential in every aspect of your life. Best of luck to you, Mr. Gaulden.”
