NBA YoungBoy Receives Presidential Pardon from Donald Trump After Serving Time for Federal Gun Charges

Kentrell Gaulden, better known as NBA YoungBoy, has been granted a presidential pardon by former President Donald Trump as part of a series of pardons issued on May 28, 2025. The 24-year-old rapper had been serving a 23-month federal sentence for multiple gun possession charges, with legal issues spanning several states over the past few years. In December 2024, Gaulden pleaded guilty to two separate gun-related offenses: one from a 2020 arrest in Louisiana and another in Utah. He received credit for time already served since May 2024, when federal agents raided his Utah home while he was under house arrest for earlier weapons charges. In April 2024, Gaulden was arrested again, this time in connection with an alleged fraudulent prescription drug ring, and faced additional charges including possession of a dangerous weapon as a restricted person and misdemeanors related to controlled substances. As part of a plea deal, he admitted to being a felon in possession of firearms. Following his release from federal prison, Gaulden returned to Utah just before receiving the pardon. Expressing gratitude on Instagram, he thanked Trump for the opportunity to rebuild his life as an artist, father, and individual. The pardon marks a significant turning point in the rapper’s ongoing legal saga.