NBA YoungBoy orchestrated ‘large scale prescription fraud’ plan, Utah law enforcement say

Rapper NBA YoungBoy and quite a few of his associates orchestrated a “large scale prescription fraud ring” to illegally get hold of prescription drugs from various Utah-area pharmacies, law enforcement allege.

An affidavit filed Thursday by an officer for the Cache County Sheriff’s Place of work named the rapper (born Kentrell DeSean Gaulden) as a key suspect in a months-extensive scheme that associated posing as a health care provider to fill prescriptions for promethazine with codeine — a managed substance — in pharmacies in metropolitan areas which include Hyrum, Logan and Smithfield. The affidavit was filed two days after Gaulden, 24, was arrested Tuesday evening on 63 rates which include counts for identity fraud, forgery and “procuring or making an attempt to procure” prescription drugs, court docket paperwork reviewed by The Times reported.

A legal consultant for Gaulden, also acknowledged as YoungBoy Never Broke Yet again, did not comment to The Times on Friday.

Filed by Cache County officer Tyson Nielsen, the affidavit outlines a number of cases courting from September 2023 to February 2024 of alleged identification fraud and makes an attempt to receive promethazine with codeine — a critical ingredient applied to make a cough syrup-laced drink normally identified as “lean,” “purple drank” and “sizzurp.”

On Sept. 19, 2023, two pharmacies in the Cache County region received a prescription order from a human being declaring to be a doctor in Provo. The individual allegedly posing as the doctor presented legitimate determining information and requested to fill a prescription for two individuals in their 70s, “Bethel White” and “Gwendlyn Cox.” In both instances, the serious doctor (who was not discovered) explained to the pharmacies that he did not have sufferers with those names and said his “name and qualifications are staying applied fraudulently.”

A 3rd fraudulent prescription for the very same drug was allegedly identified as into a Smithfield pharmacy on Jan. 17, 2024, yet again by “the suspect pinpointing as the medical professional.” The prescription was for a patient named “Gwendolyn Cox” — not “Gwendlyn” — with a unique birthday. Pharmacists were being suspicious about the request and tried to access the health practitioner but the connect with was disconnected, the affidavit states. The authentic doctor later verified to the Smithfield pharmacy that he did not put the buy and did not have a individual named “Gwendolyn Cox.”

In accordance to documents, Nielsen commenced investigating the alleged fraud plan amid the January incident. Two girls allegedly arrived in a white Chevy Tahoe, registered in Gaulden‘s name, to select up the prescription for a “friend” from the Smithfield pharmacy. Cache County police detained the unidentified girls (“Associates 1 and 2”). They had been later arrested for their alleged involvement in the “prescription fraud ring.”

Nielsen mentioned that amid his investigation, “Gwendolyn Cox” requested to get in touch. Nevertheless, all through the discussion, the caller allegedly provided “White” as a last title in its place of “Cox,” and did not deliver a comprehensive day of delivery or a residence address. “During the dialogue with ‘Gwendolyn’ it was really distinct that a fake voice was getting utilized,” Nielsen wrote in the affidavit, just before citing the caller’s pronunciation of “ask” as “axe,” which he stated is “consistent “with a southern dialect” in many states which include Gaulden’s indigenous Louisiana.

Court docket paperwork element an alleged discussion among Nielsen, Gaulden and the rapper’s brother (“Associate 3”), which involved inquiries about the prescription medicine for “Gwendolyn Cox.” The affidavit also lists a handful of “fraudulent activity” beneath the Provo physician’s name all of them ended up prescription requests for promethizane with codeine for clients in their late 60s and 70s throughout Utah pharmacies.

“Several of the names are repeats including mixtures of 1st and last names with different birthdays,” Nielsen explained.

The affidavit continued: “Through analysis of the fraud incidents it is obvious that there are several men and women associated to even further the fraud plan, recognized as an company. The ongoing fraud and suspected drug distribution taking place involving Kentrell Gaulden and his associates further more substantiates the Sample of Illegal Activity as they have engaged in at the very least three episodes of illegal action that are all comparable in purpose, outcomes, participants, victims and methods of commission.”

Gaulden was arrested on Tuesday when Cache County officers executed a research warrant on his Utah mansion. Company at Gaulden’s property ended up also detained.

In the dwelling research, police found a gun the rapper claimed belonged to his spouse, two bottles of the antibiotic doxycycline (one particular approved to Gaulden, one more to a individual named “Caroline White”) and quite a few bottles of promethazine with codeine, the affidavit suggests. Officers also seized all electronic units in the house, for which Gaulden allegedly did not supply passwords.

Nielsen alleged that the Grammy-nominated “Need It” rapper denied “knowledge of any illegally possessed prescription” and fraud techniques.

In accordance to the affidavit, Gaulden’s previous run-ins with the legislation day to 2018 when he was arrested for alleged aggravated assault and kidnapping. He was arrested once again in 2019 and 2020. In March 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Gaulden, accusing the musician of possessing an unregistered firearm and of “possession of firearms by a convicted felon” in link to his 2020 circumstance. Since October 2021, he has been less than dwelling arrest in his house in Weber County.

The affidavit concludes by alleging that Gaulden “has participated in an ongoing felony organization that has been associated in the fee of numerous felonies,” irrespective of his house arrest.

“According to the FBI, Kentrell is the recognised chief of a violent gang from the Louisiana place,” the affidavit continues. “Based on Kentrell’s background, it is apparent that he is vulnerable to violence.”

Gaulden, who was born in Baton Rouge, started rapping as a teen posting his audio to YouTube. Just after signing to the audio label Never Broke Yet again, Gaulden unveiled his initially album “Before I Go” in 2016, which paved the way for a lot more releases and collaborations with rappers 21 Savage, Boosie Badazz, Yo Gotti, Youthful Thug and Long term. The rapper’s ascent was mottled with legal hassle, including an arrest for his alleged connection in a 2016 taking pictures. In spite of this, his audio profession endured.

In 2022, Gaulden initially entered the Grammys dialogue: He gained a melodic rap efficiency nomination for his work in Tyler, the Creator’s music “Wusyaname.”

Talking to Billboard while under house arrest in February 2023, Gaulden mentioned he appears to be like ahead to “change” on launch.

“I am quite curious of the person who I shall develop into,” he claimed.

Periods researcher Scott Wilson contributed to this report.