LOGAN — Local law enforcement is responding to the recent presidential pardon of Kentrell Desean Gaulden, a.k.a. rapper NBA YoungBoy. The rapper pled guilty in November 2024 for his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Cache County. He also pled guilty to additional charges in other jurisdictions.
Cache County Sheriff Chad Jensen and Cache County Attorney Taylor Sorensen said the reason they had been given for Gaulden’s pardon was to correct “a politicized and weaponized justice system.” The pardon came in a grouping with other convicts across the country.
In April 2024, Gaulden was arrested by sheriff’s deputies for calling in fraudulent prescriptions under the names of real doctors and using fake patient names and birthdates. Callers linked to the rapper would phone in prescriptions using the name of a real doctor in Provo, in some cases – but provide fake patient information. Individuals would then pick up the order from pharmacies, mainly promethazine and codeine.
In a joint press release, Jensen and Taylor said, “We are extremely proud of the work our investigator and prosecutors did on this case as well as grateful for all the help we received from other local and federal agencies.”
Gaulden was arrested at his Weber County home and held in the Cache County Jail until accepting a plea deal, pleading “no contest” to two counts of forgery and two counts of identity fraud, both third-degree felonies; and six counts of unlawful pharmacy conduct, a class A misdemeanor. He was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.
The Thursday statement from Jensen and Taylor referenced the rapper’s conviction and said, “we feel strongly the Justice System in Cache County is far from a ‘weaponized system of justice.’ We have highly trained, honest, experienced and professional sheriff’s investigators and county prosecutors, along with respected District Court Judges and Defense Attorneys. We, along with all of our staff are proud of the work we do in Cache County.”
Gaulden, whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” is preparing to set out on a major U.S. tour in September.