Nelly’s lawyer ‘extremely confident’ drug charges will be cleared

A lawyer for rapper Nelly is confident the performer will be cleared of charges after being arrested on felony drug charges over the weekend.

Nelly, real name Cornell Haynes, was taken into custody on Saturday morning after being stopped on Interstate 40 in Putnam County, a representative for the Tennessee Highway Patrol confirmed to The Times.

The 40-year-old rapper was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after troopers, who had pulled over his tour bus for not displaying the proper registration stickers, smelled marijuana and entered the vehicle on probable cause.

In the bus’s sleeper area, authorities discovered “five colored crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine, as well as a small amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia,” according to a highway patrol news release. Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, confirmed that a small amount of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or Molly, was retrieved.

Also confiscated, according to authorities: “approximately 100 small Ziploc bags that are commonly associated with the sale of narcotics and numerous handguns, including a gold-plated .50-caliber Desert Eagle pistol, a .45-caliber Tarus pistol, and a .500 magnum Smith and Wesson. “

But Rosenblum said the rapper has zero connection to the contraband that was found on the bus.

“In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop,” Rosenblum said in a statement. “We are extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered.“

A convicted felon and one of the other five people on the bus, Brian Jones, 44, was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a handgun.

Nelly and Jones were taken to the Putnam County Jail, where they were held on separate $10,000 bail bonds and released Saturday evening.

The rapper’s hit BET reality show, “Nellyville,” which follows him balancing raising his children and his deceased sister’s children with his career and a new relationship, returns on May 5.

He is also slated to hit the road with New Kids on the Block and TLC on their Main Event arena tour, which kicks off May 1 in Las Vegas.

The rapper is due back in court on June 19.

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