Donald Trump pardoned NBA Youngboy after pleaded guilty to drug fraud in Utah, prompting local officials to reject claims of political bias in the case.
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NBA Youngboy escaped probation and controversy and cleaned up his Utah conviction in connection with gun charges and prescription drug fraud cases that have attracted national attention after President Donald Trump granted him a pardon Wednesday (May 28).
The 25-year-old rapper, born in Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to identity theft and forgery in Cash County, Utah, as part of a broader plea deal that also resolves federal gun charges.
Trump’s pardon eliminates a five-year probation for young NBA boys, and the former president said it aims to correct what he calls a “politicized and weaponized justice system.”
Local officials in Utah did not buy it.
“We are very proud of the work that investigators and prosecutors have done in this case and thanks for all the help we have received from other local and federal agencies,” Sheriff D. Chad Jensen and Cache County attorney Taylor Sorensen said in a joint statement. “Mr. Golden is guilty of the allegations in this investigation and we believe that the justice system in Cache County is far from a “weaponized justice system.”
The pardon is part of a broader leniency move issued by President Trump, who is increasingly leaning towards criminal justice reform as a point of campaign talk.
According to ABC, the White House did not provide detailed explanations for NBA Youngboy in the inclusion of the group.
NBA Youngboy was sentenced to a 23-month federal verdict for using a gun as a convicted felon, due to another 2024 case.
He was released in March 2025 and received credit for service and completed a family ban. The Utah charges did not result in additional jail time, but he was asked to pay a $200,000 fine.
The rapper publicly thanked President Trump, criminal justice advocate Alice Marie Johnson, commonly known as the “Parse Tsar,” and attorney Brittany K. Barnett for his role in ensuring his release.
NBA Youngboy is in trouble behind him and is back in music. He is preparing for his MASA tour, a smooth nod to the Trump Presidential Magazine movement.
NBA Youngboy’s criminal history includes prior arrests for assault, kidnapping and weapon assault, but the latest chapter may mark a turning point in his career.
