NBA YoungBoy’s pretrial hearing scheduled for Utah prescription fraud ring allegations

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4) — Rapper NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, was arraigned Friday on allegations of leading a large-scale prescription fraud ring in Cache County.

His pretrial release hearing has been set for the morning of Monday, April 29, according to Utah’s First District Court.

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Gaulden, 24, was taken into custody on April 16, and is now facing 46 charges — including patterns of unlawful activity, unlawful conduct-pharmacy practices, identity fraud, and forgery.

According to the Cache County Sheriff’s Office, Gaulden and several associates called in prescriptions for Promethazine with Codeine — a heavily abused cough suppressant — at pharmacies throughout Cache County.

CCSO requested and executed a search warrant of the rapper’s multi-million dollar home in Weber County, and reportedly found several prescription bottles — including those with the fraudulent names he used.

Gaulden reportedly denied knowing anything about the fraudulent prescriptions but said a doctor in Roy had prescribed him Promethazine.

Rapper NBA YoungBoy led ‘large-scale prescription fraud ring’, police say

CCSO said Gaulden is currently on federal house arrest for a 2020 case in his home state of Louisiana. He has had an extensive criminal history, according to the sheriff’s office, having been previously convicted for violent crimes including aggravated assault and simple battery.

Gaulden was moved to Utah to serve his pre-trial federal house arrest as his lawyers argued moving to Utah would “keep YoungBoy out of trouble.”

Gaulden remains in the Cache County Jail.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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