Rapper thanks Trump for pardon on gun conviction
A Louisiana rapper who was convicted on gun charges is now thanking President Donald Trump for pardoning him, saying he is "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, made the statement as Trump issued a number of pardons Wednesday.
Last year, Gaulden was sentenced by a federal judge in Utah after he acknowledged possessing weapons despite being a convicted felon. However, 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 five years of probation and a $200,000 fine.
"I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and for giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist," Gaulden, whose stage moniker stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram. "This moment means a lot."
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"It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden added.
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Gaulden was released from federal prison in March and sent to home confinement after receiving credit for time served, his attorney Drew Findling told the Associated Press. 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.
"From Louisiana to Utah the battles have been endless, and now he can concentrate on first and foremost his family, and then, of course, his amazing career," Findling said in a statement.
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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.
Gaulden, who has achieved four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and one Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, is now preparing to set out on a major U.S. arena tour later this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Rapper thanks Trump for pardon on gun conviction
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