Nelly's Lawyer Denies Rapper Was Charged with Drug Possession After St. Louis Arrest, Says Officer Was 'Out of Line'

In a statement to PEOPLE, attorney Scott Rosenblum claimed that a police officer conducted a "search without probable cause" that led to Nelly's arrest on Wednesday

• Nelly's lawyer released a statement to PEOPLE addressing the rapper's Wednesday arrest in the St. Louis area

• The attorney claimed that Nelly "was not charged with drug possession" despite reports

• The lawyer also alleged that Nelly's unnamed arresting officer "conducted a search without probable cause"

Nelly's lawyer is speaking out following the rapper's arrest in the St. Louis area this week.

On Wednesday, Aug. 7, hours after Nelly (born Cornell Haynes Jr.), 49, was booked for failure to appear on an old traffic charge and on a charge of possession of a controlled substance, his attorney, Scott Rosenblum, released a statement to PEOPLE denying the latter.

"Mr. Haynes was not charged with drug possession," the statement reads, despite Nelly's online arrest record showing otherwise. "He was arrested for 'No Proof of Insurance' from 2018 on a warrant issued December 2023 that he received no notice."

Related: Nelly Denies Claim That He Lost $300K and Rewarded Woman Who Found It with $100

In his statement, Rosenblum claimed that Nelly was "targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer" — whose name has not yet been reported — on Wednesday after "winning several jackpots" at a local St. Louis casino that the "Hot in Herre" rapper "frequently visits."

"Instead of just supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes' winnings, this officer felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants," the statement claimed. "The officer informed Mr. Haynes a background check was mandated when a player won over a certain amount."

The attorney alleged that Nelly "knew this to be untrue" after winning "several jackpots for similar or greater amounts" in the past, including "one just a week prior without [incident] or a background check."

"Once Mr. Haynes was informed of the warrant for a No Proof of Insurance infraction, this officer felt compelled to handcuff Mr. Haynes behind his back and parade him through the casino in front of other patrons," Rosenblum's statement claimed.

He then alleged that the arresting officer "conducted a search without probable cause, where he claimed to have found alleged 'ecstasy' in Mr. Haynes' personal property." Under similar circumstances, the lawyer claimed that "any other citizen" would have been "told to address it and allowed to go on their way" for having no proof of insurance.

Additionally, as part of international travel requirements, Rosenblum noted that Nelly is "regularly asked to supply proof of no warrants," including "FBI checks," claiming "there were none."

"I am 100% confident this case will go nowhere," the attorney's statement concluded. "And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer's conduct."

On Wednesday, the Maryland Heights Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that Nelly was arrested around 5 a.m. after being received by the State of Missouri Highway Patrol, Gaming Division at the Hollywood Casino.

According to his arrest record viewed by PEOPLE, the Grammy winner was initially arrested on one charge of possession of a controlled substance for allegedly having four ecstasy pills and one charge of no insurance. He was held and then released by police.

This isn't the first time Nelly has run into trouble with the law. He's previously faced multiple sexual assault allegations, including in October 2017 when he was arrested after a woman named Monique Greene claimed the rapper assaulted her on his tour bus in Washington.

At the time, a rep for Nelly denied the allegations to PEOPLE via a statement from his lawyer, claiming that the woman’s accusation was "a completely fabricated allegation" and they were confident he wouldn't be charged.

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Related: Nelly Arrested on Felony Drug Charge While Traveling in Tennessee

Prosecutors dropped the case by September 2019 after Greene refused to testify in court. She did not file any charges, and Nelly maintained they had consensual sex.

In April 2015, Nelly was also arrested on several drug charges, including felony possession by Tennessee state troopers, PEOPLE confirmed. However, his attorney denied that he was "associated” with the illegal substances that led to his arrest.

“Nelly was one of several individuals that was on a tour bus that was stopped and searched while traveling through Tennessee," his lawyer Rosenblum said in a statement at the time. "In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop. Allegedly, a small quantity of contraband (MDMA aka molly or ecstasy) was discovered during the routine search."

Nelly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges, but they were eventually dismissed from his record after completing a diversion program.

Nelly is currently expecting his fifth child, his first with Ashanti, whom he secretly married in December 2023.

The couple announced their baby on April 17, the same day an interview with Essence was published, in which they discussed the major life change.

"This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation," Ashanti told the publication. "Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience."

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