AP - Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, who was sentenced to just under 2 years in prison on gun-related charges, was pardoned by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist,” NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, said.
Gaulden’s pardon was confirmed Wednesday evening by 2 White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been formally made public.
In 2024, Gaulden was sentenced by a federal judge in Utah after he acknowledged possessing weapons despite being a convicted felon. He reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges against him and settled two sets of federal charges against him — one carried a 23-month sentence and the other ordered 5 years of probation and a $200,000 fine.
Gaulden was released from federal prison in March and sent to home confinement after receiving credit for time served, according to his attorney Drew Findling. With home confinement finished last month, the pardon means he won’t have to follow the terms of his probation, including drug testing, he said.
The rapper has acknowledged that he possessed a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge. He has also said he had a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his home in Huntsville, Utah. He had agreed to give up the guns.
Gaulden had previously been convicted in Louisiana of aggravated assault with a firearm, according to his statement released in advance of the plea agreement.
He had also pleaded guilty in November to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring that operated out of his home in Utah. He had to pay a $25,000 fine and was given no prison time.
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