Date Published: November 13, 2024, 01:51h.

Last updated on: November 13, 2024, 01:55h.

Nelly will not be charged in connection with his August arrest at a St. Louis casino for possession of ecstasy, according to officials.

A statement from St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell indicated that after reviewing the facts of the case, prosecutors determined that no charges were warranted.

Nelly, also known as Cornell I. Haynes Jr., was taken into custody by Maryland Heights police officers at 4:45 a.m. on August 7 outside the Hollywood Casino St. Louis, where he had just won $50,000 on a slot machine.

An officer conducting the transaction requested a background check before Nelly could collect his winnings. The check revealed an outstanding warrant for driving without proof of insurance in 2018.

Although the warrant has since been resolved, it led to a search of Nelly’s vehicle, resulting in the discovery of four ecstasy pills. Ecstasy (MDMA) is classified as a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

Nelly, a local celebrity who hails from the area, was escorted through the casino in handcuffs by officers, who recommended a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance. He was later released.

The reasons for dropping the charges were not specified by Bell’s office. However, Nelly’s legal representative had previously argued that both the background check and the search were conducted unlawfully.

In 2009, Nelly’s tour bus was stopped in Sierra Blanca, Texas, where police found methamphetamine, marijuana, and a loaded firearm. Nelly was not charged with drug possession, but was cited for having illicit substances on his bus.

In a separate incident in 2001, Nelly was arrested in St. Louis on drug-related charges after a small amount of marijuana was discovered in his possession. He was briefly detained before being released.