Chart-topping Baton Rouge rap star NBA YoungBoy’s house arrest got a bit more lax this week, but a federal judge refused to spring him from his in-home detention for video shoots, studio sessions and other outings tied to his music career.
The 24-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, was arrested on federal gun charges in September 2020 and has been confined to his Salt Lake City, Utah estate for the past two years awaiting trial.
Presiding judge Shelly Dick, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, imposed 21 conditions of Gaulden’s bond when she okayed his release on house arrest in October 2021.
Citing a decline in record sales and deteriorating mental health, his lawyers in November asked the judge to amend one of those conditions so Gaulden could attend therapy sessions and visit outside studios to record music without having to get court approval.
On Monday, Dick gave Gaulden leeway to participate in mental health and social services programs that are pre-approved by his bond supervisors at the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office. She denied his request to do the same for “employee-related activities.”
“Gaulden states he ‘does not want to burden this Honorable Court with each employment-related request,’” Dick wrote in her Monday ruling, citing language from his legal team’s petition. “But given the vague bounds of the request, and in light of the history of violence aimed at Gaulden and those around him, the court is more troubled by the threat that the proposed modification imposes on Gaulden’s safety.
“Gaulden can continue to seek court approval of such activities until the trial of this matter begins,” she stated.
On Thursday, Gaulden posted a video on TikTok showing what appear to be associates handing wads of cash to a family in a Target parking lot, with the caption "this is what they won't show."
This screenshot shows a video posted on TikTok by rapper NBA YoungBoy that appears to show him handing out cash in a Target parking lot.
A man holding a cloth over his head — apparently Gaulden, though his face is concealed — runs up at the end of the video to hand out more money.
"NBA Youngboy blesses a family for Christmas," another caption says.
Dick on Dec. 12 had a phone conference with Gaulden’s lawyers and federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys office. Two days later, she set Gaulden’s trial to begin July 15 and slated it to last until July 26, court records indicate.
Gaulden and 15 others were rounded up when Baton Rouge police swarmed a music video he was shooting near an abandoned lot in the 3800 block of Chippewa Street the afternoon of Sept. 28, 2020, according to warrants. Officers found and seized several guns and arrested more than a dozen people from the shoot. Gaulden was federally indicted five months later on allegations of illegally possessing a gun as a convicted felon and possession of an unregistered firearm.
In the Nov. 1 motion for bond modifications, Gaulden’s lawyers alluded to the arrests of four officers from BRPD’s now-disbanded Street Crimes unit and argued those allegations chip away at the evidence against him. Troy Lawrence Sr., then-commander of the Street Crimes unit, received the tip from a confidential informant that led investigators to the rapper’s video shoot, according to the court filing.
Unit officers Jesse Barcelona, Todd Thomas and Douglas Chutz participated in the subsequent bust. While booking on of the men from the video shoot into a Plank Road precinct, officers used a stun gun to subdue the suspect and tried to strip search him in a bathroom, Gaulden’s lawyers argued, citing their arrest warrants.
The four officers have been arrested on allegations they used excessive force and tried to destroy body camera footage to cover it up.