Rapper Nelly is arrested and accused of having illegal drugs. His lawyer says the case will die

Rapper Nelly was arrested early Wednesday at a St. Louis-area casino, and the Missouri Highway Patrol said an officer found four illegal ecstasy pills on him. The rapper's attorney said an “overzealous” officer targeted him and conducted an improper search.

The arrest occurred about 4:45 a.m., and Nelly, 49, was held and then released by police in Maryland Heights, Missouri, the patrol said in a brief online report. The St. Louis suburb is home to the Hollywood Casino and Hotel, and Nelly's attorney, Scott Rosenblum said in a statement Wednesday evening that the rapper, who grew up in the area, visits it frequently.

Online Missouri court records show that Nelly, whose birth name is Cornell Haynes II, was cited in June 2018 in Maryland Heights with operating a vehicle without proper proof of insurance. A judge issued a warrant in December 2023, and it remained outstanding.

Rosenblum said Nelly had won several casino jackpots and when he sought to collect them, the officer who would have supervised the transaction “needlessly” ran a search for warrants. Once the officer found the outstanding warrant, he cuffed Nelly's hands behind his back and “felt compelled” to “parade him through the casino in front of other customers," Rosenblum said.