Utah officials are pushing back hard after NBA YoungBoy received a pardon from Donald Trump, wiping away a string of serious charges tied to a Utah investigation. The rapper, born Kentrell Gaulden, had pleaded guilty to multiple offenses. These included identity theft and forgery. The charges were connected to a Cache County case. But Trump stepped in at the end of May and dropped all federal charges.
That move didn’t sit well with local authorities.
“We are extremely proud of the work our investigator and prosecutors did on this case,” said Cache County Sheriff D. Chad Jensen and County Attorney Taylor Sorensen in a joint statement. “Mr. Gaulden pled guilty… and we feel strongly the Justice System in Cache County is far from a ‘weaponized system of justice.’”
The officials firmly rejected Trump’s claims that the justice system was unfairly politicized. Utah State Representative Trevor Lee echoed their frustration, briefly tweeting, “As a state we should still go after him,” before deleting the post.
Despite the controversy, officials haven’t taken any new legal action against YoungBoy. Meanwhile, the rapper is moving forward, thanking Trump in a lengthy message following the pardon. “I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building – as a man, as a father, and as an artist,” he wrote. He also credited Alice Marie Johnson and attorney Brittany K. Barnett for supporting him.
The legal storm is behind him for now. YoungBoy is gearing up for his “Make America Slime Again” tour. It kicks off September 1st in Dallas. He’s added 13 new stops, bringing the tour total to 30 shows, ending in Seattle on November 12th.
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