Missouri prosecutor says he won't charge Nelly after an August drug arrest

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rapper Nelly won't face drug charges following his arrest this summer at a St. Louis-area casino, a prosecutor said.

“We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges," St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said in a statement Tuesday.

Nelly, 49, whose birth name is Cornell Haynes II, grew up in the area. His lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, has said the search that led to Nelly's August arrest was unwarranted.

Bell’s office didn’t elaborate on why the decision was made to not file charges. Rosenblum said in an email Wednesday that Bell's decision followed “a fair and impartial review of the evidence.”