Nelly’s attorney has spoken out against the three-time Grammy winner’s recent casino arrest, as well as questioned the actions and intentions of the officer involved.
As previously reported, Nelly, 49, was arrested at the Hollywood Casino and Hotel in the Maryland Heights suburb of St. Louis on Wednesday. Online records from the Missouri State Highway Patrol show that he was arrested around 4:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday and held by the Maryland Heights Police Department. While listed charges include possession of a controlled substance from MSHP and a prior lack of proof of insurance-related charge from Maryland Heights, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, has disputed the former.
According to a statement shared with Page Six and others, Rosenblum believes Nelly was "targeted" in the incident by an "overzealous" officer who "felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants," resulting in the insurance-related issue circa late last year. At one point in their interaction, Rosenblum added, the officer told Nelly that a full-fledged background check was required for him to collect his winnings, which makes another facet of the arrest that the lawyer has called into question.
As for a subsequent search, Rosenblum says this was done "without probable cause." Furthermore, the officer’s claims of having found what Rosenblum described as "alleged ecstasy" are approached with speculation in the attorney’s statement, which wraps with an expression of confidence regarding this headlines-making case’s future.
"I am 100 percent confident this case will go nowhere," he said.
As of this writing, Nelly wasn't speaking publicly on the arrest, whether on social media or elsewhere. Last month, he and Ashanti celebrated the impending arrival of their first child together with back-to-back baby showers.
In February, the couple appeared together on the track "This Lil’ Game We Play" with Juicy J and Jermaine Dupri.