Picture this: a rapper’s world turned upside down as YoungBoy finds himself in hot water, arrested near Huntsville for alleged involvement in a ‘large-scale prescription fraud ring.’ From spitting rhymes to legal crimes, the contrast couldn’t be starker. This unexpected twist has fans shaken and authorities on high alert. YoungBoy’s journey from the mic to the cuffs has left many scratching their heads in disbelief.
The investigation revealed that the rapper had ties to individuals orchestrating the large-scale prescription fraud ring.
Individuals implicated in such operations can face severe consequences, including hefty fines and lengthy prison sentences. The legal system takes a firm stance against prescription fraud, aiming to deter others from engaging in similar criminal activities.
The affidavit notes the FBI has classified his associates as a gang because of their “structure, affiliation and violent behavior. Kentrell Gaulden’s music is heavily influenced by such behavior as he is consistently rapping about shooting and killing people, using drugs and having a strong dislike for law enforcement.”
Investigators from Cache County say they were first alerted to fraudulent prescriptions last September, when someone called in a order to a Hyrum pharmacy using the credentials of a Provo doctor, who did not have a patient matching the name.
Pharmacists told police the voice “sounded as though they were a much younger person disguising their voice to sound much older,” the affidavit alleges.
Over the next months, police say 18 successfully filled prescriptions and at least two confirmed attempts were documented throughout Cache County and across Utah, using repeated names that were “different combinations of first and last names with different birthdays,” impersonating elderly patients, ordering the antibiotic doxycycline, and promethazine with codeine — “a heavily abused” controlled substance. The cough syrup is often combined with alcohol or soda to make “purple drank” or “lean.”
In January, officers with the Cache-Rich Drug Task Force arrested two females attempting to pick up codeine prescriptions in Smithfield who were driving a Chevy Tahoe registered to Gaulden, which was impounded. Police spoke to Gaulden, according to the affidavit, and he claimed the women “were family.”
During that phone conversation, investigators say Gaulden muted himself multiple times, but a lifelong friend of Gaulden, who lived with him in Baton Rouge, could be heard telling the rapper, “Ask him about um … the prescription that they picked up,” the affidavit states, with the officer noting: “It is suspected that they intended to mute me at that time as well.”
During the investigation, police say they received a call from “Gwendolyn Cox,” one of the alleged aliases used to order prescriptions. The caller mixed up the names of aliases, giving police the last name “White,” and could not give an age when asked, according to police. The affidavit said “it was very clear that a fake voice was being used,” and “sounded as though she was a much younger male from the southern states.”
On Tuesday, a search warrant was executed at Gaulden’s multimillion-dollar mansion in the unincorporated area of Weber County, northeast of Huntsville, where police say they found doxycycline prescribed to Caroline White, codeine prescribed to Gaulden with a false date of birth, and unlabeled codeine. They also say a gun was found, which Gaulden said belonged to his wife.
Gaulden has been on house arrest since October 2021, awaiting trial for a federal firearms charge. Gaulden and 15 others were arrested in 2020 after Baton Rouge police received a tip that a group was filming a music video with guns, according to court documents.
The Cache County Sheriff’s Office said many agencies were involved in executing the warrant at his Weber County residence, including Homeland Security, the FBI, the Secret Service and Layton police SWAT, among others.
Gaulden, 24, was booked into the Cache County Jail for investigation of a pattern of unlawful activity, including procuring or attempting to procure drugs, identity fraud, forgery, possession of controlled substances and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person. The statement said Cache County would not be releasing any more details “due to the complexity of the investigation.”
Gaulden’s house arrest conditions were altered in December, after he claimed his mental health was deteriorating and his professional career was facing significant difficulty. U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick in Louisiana agreed to make an exemption to the 24-hour lockdown for medical and mental health appointments but denied him approval to go to recording studios, citing concerns for Gaulden’s safety “in light of the history of violence aimed at Gaulden and those around him.”
Following his arrest, YoungBoy faces a series of charges related to his alleged role in the prescription fraud ring. These charges carry severe penalties, including potential fines and lengthy prison sentences if he is found guilty in court.
The legal implications for YoungBoy are significant, with the possibility of tarnishing his reputation and impacting his career in the music industry. The outcome of this case could have long-term repercussions on his personal life and professional endeavors.
