Latest news with #Gaulden
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump pardons rapper NBA YoungBoy in spree of clemency actions
He was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges as part of a plea deal reached with federal prosecutors in December. The previous month, Gaulden pleaded guilty to his involvement in a Utah pharmacy drug ring, but he avoided incarceration and paid a $25,000 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 rap name stands for "Never Broke Again," wrote on his Instagram account. "This moment means a lot." He added that the pardon "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I'm fully prepared to step into this." More: Trump's latest wave of pardons includes rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The pardon means Gaulden will no longer have travel restrictions, allowing him to embark on a 32-date national tour set to kick off in September that he's dubbed the "MASA tour" - "Make America Slime Again." It's a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Slime refers to a close friend or homie in hip-hop lingo. Trump has issued a slew of pardons that coincided with the first full week of Ed Martin serving as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Trump had previously nominated Martin to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, but he withdrew in the face of Republican opposition on Capitol Hill over Martin's support for Jan. 6 rioters. Pardons fully wipe out a recipient's guilt of a criminal act and any penalties tied to a conviction. Typically, a wave of pardons comes at the end of a president's term. But Trump has smashed all norms, beginning with his day one pardons of more than 1,600 individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump on May 27 pardoned Todd and Julie Chrisley of the USA Network television show "Chrisley Knows Best" fame, in which they portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South. The couple was found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million in fraudulent loans. More: Trump pardons former Army officer convicted in court martial of disobeying COVID rules The next day, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, 74, a notorious former Chicago gang leader who co-founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in 1973 for the murder of a drug dealer. Hoover, who was serving six life terms for his federal charges, still must serve a 200-year sentence for his Illinois state charges. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who resigned from his office after pleading guilty in late 2004 to one count of conspiring to commit tax fraud and depriving the public of honest service over $107,000 in gifts he accepted from companies doing business with the state. Rowland, a former New York congressman, was later convicted of obstructing justice, conspiracy, falsifying government documents, and other violations of campaign finance laws. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. More: Donald Trump pardons former Republican Rep. Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Trump pardoned former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a Republican congressman from 2011 to 2015, who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to eight months in prison. And as first reported by USA TODAY, Trump also pardoned former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw, a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures. The White House has not provided a full list of Trump's pardons, deferring to the Department of Justice, which updates clemency actions on its website. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and Zac Anderson Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rapper who was pardoned had this to say about president in 2017
The Louisiana rapper who was pardoned by President Donald Trump once said "F--- Donald Trump" in a 2017 song. NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, has been thanking Trump for the reprieve, writing in a recent Instagram post that the president is "giving me the opportunity to keep building -- as a man, as a father, and as an artist." However, in his song "Red Rum," the 25-year-old Gaulden once rapped "And f--- Donald Trump b----, that NBA s---." Pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson was asked about the remark during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" earlier this morning. Rapper Thanks Trump For Pardon On Gun Conviction "So a couple of rappers have come out or let's say one in particular -- YoungBoy. One of his lyrics in 2017 that he put out is "F Donald Trump" and some more disparaging things to say. He had a violent past of assault and battery. Multiple cases of that, and firearm, drug and fraud charges. What sold you on him getting a second chance?" co-host Brian Kilmeade asked her. Read On The Fox News App "I looked at the age and how this young man grew up. He grew up in a very impoverished neighborhood. And the things that he had to face, NBA YoungBoy growing up. Most of those were gun charges without the guns being discharged," she said. "But I also looked at what happened to him on a set where he was filming a video and he had a prop in the set. That's really where this came from. He didn't come out of prison. He was given a pardon so he could have a new beginning. And the officers who in this particular case they came at him as though he was a terrorist and he was on a set, filming for a video. They gave him a gun charge for that... the officers who did this were all investigated and fired. So I look at the elements of what happened to this young man," Johnson added. 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. Trump Pardons Ex-connecticut Governor Rowland And Commutes Chicago Gang Leader Hoover's Sentence "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." "It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden added. 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. 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. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Rapper who was pardoned had this to say about president in 2017
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NBA YoungBoy, rapper who was convicted in Utah, receives pardon
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known by his stage name NBA YoungBoy, has been pardoned after his conviction in Utah. The rapper, who was living in Huntsville and owns a home in Millcreek, took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce that he had been pardoned by President Donald Trump. '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,' Gaulden wrote, in part. 'This moment means a lot. It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for, and I am fully prepared to step into this.' A White House spokesperson confirmed the pardon to Gaulden's attorney, Drew Findling, told Rolling Stone that his client had been pardoned, although he hadn't filed a pardon application. Gaulden, now 25, was initially sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge in Utah to nearly two years in prison and five years of probation in December 2024, matching recommendations outlined after he pleaded guilty to unlawful transport of firearms earlier that year. The case originated in his home state of Louisiana before it was transferred to Utah. He was credited with the time he spent in jail after police arrested him in connection with a prescription fraud ring case in April 2024. Gaulden also pleaded no contest to two counts of identity fraud, two counts of forgery and six counts of unlawful pharmacy conduct, all class A misdemeanors, and was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine in November as part of a plea deal with state prosecutors. He had initially faced 46 charges in the state. His lawyer, Findling, also represented Trump in a 2022 election interference investigation in Georgia. As NBA YoungBoy, Gaulden has amassed a large following, garnering 16.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He has also been nominated for three BET Hip Hop Awards and a Grammy Award, but the Utah cases were the latest in a string of legal woes he faced in other states. Yet, family described a 'whole other side' of the rapper during his sentencing hearing, calling him a 'jokester' who had risen from poverty in Louisiana. 'I just want people to see Kentrell as a human, and there's a whole other side to these things ... he's a human, and he has a good heart,' said Kyrie Garcia, his godmother. The federal judge who sentenced Gaulden said he believed the rapper was in the process of turning his life around, adding that he was 'going to have to walk the straight and narrow' in the future. Gaulden also thanked Trump's 'pardon czar,' Alice Marie Johnson, and attorney Brittany Barnett as part of his pardon post on Wednesday. 'I'm grateful. I'm focused. I'm ready,' he added.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Rapper NBA YoungBoy, pardoned by Trump, looks ahead to ‘future I've worked hard for'
NBA YoungBoy, the Louisiana-born rapper who has faced a flurry of legal woes in recent years, said on Wednesday he can soon put all of that behind him. The musician — born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden and also professionally known as YoungBoy Never Broke Again — expressed relief and optimism for a new chapter as President Trump issued out a series of pardons for the 25-year-old rapper, a former New York congressman and and several others. In an Instagram story, Gaulden credited the president with 'granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, a father, and as an artist.' 'This moment means a lot,' said the 'Make No Sense' artist. 'It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this.' Trump pardoned Gaulden less than six months after he was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for gun-related charges in December 2024. At the time he acknowledged possessing despite being a convicted felon. A month before his sentence, the rap star pleaded guilty to his involvement in a years-long prescription drug fraud scheme in Utah. He pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree felony identity fraud, two counts of third-degree felony forgery, and six counts of misdemeanor unlawful pharmacy conduct and pleaded no contest to remaining charges. He did not receive a prison sentence for that case, but was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. Gaulden's legal woes also include being indicted by a federal grand jury in 2021 for possessing an unregistered firearm and 'possession of firearms by a convicted felon' in connection to a 2020 case. Joining Gaulden on the roster of Trump's latest pardonees are former Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover and 'Chrisley Knows Best' reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. Trump also pardoned New York labor union leader James Callahan, former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, former congressman Michael Grimm and Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw. The Grammy-nominated 'Need It' rapper also thanked Trump's pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson. She was convicted in 1996 for her role in a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation and Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018. Gaulden credited Johnson with 'fighting for second chances for so many people' and thanked his attorney Brittany K. Barnett and supporters. Gaulden embarks on his live tour in September, including two shows at Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 9 and 10. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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." Trump Pardons Ex-connecticut Governor Rowland And Commutes Chicago Gang Leader Hoover's Sentence "It opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this," Gaulden added. Read On The Fox News App 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. 'Island Boys' Rapper Franky Venegas Arrested In Florida On Gun, Drug Charges 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
