NBA Youngboy operated large-scale prescription drug fraud ring in Utah, court docs allege
A pre-trial hearing date has been set.
CACHE COUNTY, Utah (WVUE) - Baton Rouge native and rap superstar NBA Young boy is at the center of an investigation into a large-scale prescription drug fraud ring operating across Utah.
According to an arrest report, YoungBoy, real name Kentrell Gaulden, is suspected of orchestrating a scheme in which fake prescriptions for promethazine and codeine were called into several pharmacies around the state.
Gaulden, 24, was arrested Tuesday (April 16) around 6:30 p.m. and booked into Cache County jail, north of where he has been serving house arrest in Weber County.
The scheme reportedly involved several other individuals and the use of fake names, forming what authorities describe as an “ongoing criminal enterprise.”
A lengthy, 10-page report released two days after Gaulden’s arrest detailed several incidents in which a physician was impersonated and fraudulent prescriptions were acquired.
His initial court appearance will be on Monday, April 29.
- Cache County Sheriff’s Office investigates rapper Kentrell Gaulden, aka NBA Youngboy, in a large-scale prescription fraud ring involving promethazine with codeine
- Gaulden and associates are suspected of using fraudulent prescriptions, impersonating a physician, and obtaining controlled substances from multiple Utah pharmacies
- Gaulden’s known associates were arrested during attempted prescription pickups
- A firearm and prescription medications were found during the execution of a search warrant at Gaulden’s Utah residence
- Gaulden denies knowledge of fraudulent activities during police interview
+ ALLEGED INCIDENTS AND OPERATIONS
On Sept. 19, 2023, authorities say someone posed as a physician from Provo, Utah to call in a fraudulent prescription to Reed’s Pharmacy in Hyrum for a patient named “Bethel White.” The caller provided a valid DEA number and other identification for the real physician. The suspect’s call was traced to a number different from the physician’s clinic. The physician being impersonated at the clinic confirmed to investigators that they had no association with the prescriptions and no patient by that name. The physician reportedly told employees this had “happened several times today.”
Law enforcement officers waited in the parking lot of Reed’s Pharmacy for someone to show up to retrieve the bogus prescription, but no one arrived.
On the same day, Spence’s Pharmacy in Logan received a call from the same suspect, using the same physician’s information, calling in a prescription for “Gwendlyn Cox.” The prescription was also for promethazine with codeine. Two weeks later, a woman suspected of being an associate of Gaulden’s retrieved the drugs and claimed “Gwendlyn Cox” was her grandmother.
On Oct. 9, Spence’s Pharmacy received another call from the suspect, identifying as the same physician, again trying to prescribe promethazine and codeine to “Gwendlyn Cox.” This time, the pharmacist requested a hard copy of the prescription with the patient and the suspect hung up the phone.
Pharmacy employees contacted the real physician in Provo, who denied calling in any prescriptions and notifying Spence’s that his information was being used fraudulently.
On Jan. 17, 2024, investigators say a fake prescription of promethazine with codeine was called into Larry’s Pharmacy in Smithfield, Utah. The prescription had been called in by the suspect identifying as the same physician for a patient named “Gwendolyn Cox,” spelled slightly differently. The pharmacy found the call to be suspicious, and contacted the physician in Provo, who again denied ordering the prescription. The physician told Larry’s about the pattern of fraudulent prescriptions. The pharmacy contacted law enforcement.
The court documents say someone at Larry’s was in contact with someone who claimed to be “Gwendolyn Cox” and was making arrangements for their grandchild to pick up their prescription. Pharmacy employees described the voice on the phone as someone who was believed to be a much younger person, disguising their voice to sound much older.
The pharmacy attempted to call the phone numbers for the fake physician and “Gwendolyn,” and they were either disconnected or not in service.
Detectives devised a plan to intercept whoever arrived to pick up the prescription from Larry’s.
Two different females arrived in a white Chevy Tahoe registered to Gaulden out of Texas and the inside of the vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, according to the report. The Tahoe, identified by a specific dent and rims, is also in one of Gaulden’s music videos, investigators claim.
The women were detained and later arrested for their suspected role in the operation. Detectives say the women agreed to a search, during which residual marijuana and an empty case for a .45 caliber handgun were discovered in the vehicle. The women claimed the marijuana was not theirs and that they were at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for a “friend,” whose name they reportedly did not provide.
During interviews with the women, investigators say one of them mistakenly identified the “friend” as “Deborah Cox, not Gwendolyn.
+ THE CONFERENCE CALL
The following day, someone claiming to be Gaulden’s business manager contacted detectives to get the Tahoe out of impound. The arrest report says the impound company was suspicious that the Tahoe had been stolen.
Detectives requested to speak to Gaulden directly to confirm the vehicle belonged to him and that the women had permission to operate the vehicle. On a conference call, Gaulden claimed the arrested females were family members and had permission to use his vehicle.
During the investigation, an agent was contacted by a “Gwendolyn Cox,” who apparently misspoke and said her last name was “White,” when asked. Court documents say “Cox” could not provide her age or address, only her birth month and date.
“It was very clear a fake voice was being used,” the document states. “’Gwendolyn’ sounded as though she was a much younger male from the southern states.”
The document says the caller replaced the word “ask” with “axe” or other variations, “consistent with a southern dialect.”
During the conference call between detectives and Gaulden, the court document says “The conversation continued with Kentrell Gaulden for a duration of time and Kentrell Gaulden made a statement determined to be an excited utterance.”
The statement reportedly made to Gaulden’s brother off-camera was “axe him about um... the prescription that they picked up.” And continued “she on the [expletive] hospital bed. She on the hospital bed.”
“Given the manner in which this conversation would break up and go silent for durations of time, it is suspected that they had muted my ability to hear multiple times throughout the call,” the arrest report says.
“The utterance shows both knowledge by Kentrell Gaulden about the fraudulent prescription being attempted to get picked up. In addition, it proves intent,” the document continues. “Kentrell Gaulden used the word ‘axe’ instead of ask, this is similar to my conversation with ‘Gwendolyn’ the night before when ‘Gwendolyn’ used the same word.”
Records obtained by investigators revealed several fraudulent prescriptions that had been successfully picked up:
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for patient, Ann White, DOB /1949, to the Midland Pharmacy in Roy, UT. The prescription was called in twice, 09/15/2023 and 10/09/2023, both for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up both times by a male individual who will be referred to as Associate 1.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Beatrice White, DOB /1949, to the Costco Pharmacy in Riverton, UT. The prescription was called in five times, 09/21/2023, 10/09/2023, 10/13/2023, 10/24/2023 and 01/15/2024 for various amounts ranging from a 2-day to 4-day supply. The prescriptions were picked up by: A female individual referred to as Associate 2 on 09/21/2023. Associate 1 on 10/09/2023 and 10/13/2023. A female referred to as Associate 3, on 10/24/2023 and 01/15/2024.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Caroline White, DOB /1949, to the Tremonton Community Pharmacy in Tremonton, UT. The prescription was called in twice, 09/21/2023 and 10/13/2023 for an 8-day supply. The prescriptions were picked up by: Associate 1, on 09/21/2023. Associate 2, on 12/13/2023. Additional notes were made suggesting that contact was also made with a female who will be referred to as Associate 4, on 12/13/2023, to pick up prescriptions.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Beatrice White, DOB /1949, to the Cache Valley Pharmacy in North Logan. The prescription was called in one time for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by someone who provided only a social security number, which was later discovered to belong to a likely deceased person, and no further identification was made. This prescription was picked up on 01/15/2024.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Gwendalyn White, DOB 1950, to the Medicine Market Pharmacy in Cottonwood Heights, UT. The prescription was called in twice for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by: A male who will be referred to as Associate 5, on 09/13/2023. Associate 1, on 10/14/2023. An additional prescription was called in on 01/11/2024 but identified as fraudulent and not filled.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Alice White, DOB 1949, to Cecil’s Pharmacy in Lehi, UT. The prescription was called in once for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by a male individual who will be referred to as Associate 6, on 09/11/2023.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Francine White, DOB 1949, to the U of U (Greenwood) Pharmacy in Midvale, UT. The prescription was for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by an unknown male individual suspected to be Associate 7, with a driver’s license shown, but believed to be of a different individual, on 09/18/2023.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Beatrice White, DOB 1955, to the U of U Pharmacy in Farmington, UT. The prescription was for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by Associate 7, on 09/20/2023.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Kentrell Gaulden, DOB 1953, to the Tremonton Community Pharmacy in Tremonton, UT. The prescription was for a 7-day supply. The prescription was attempted to be picked up on 01/19/2024 by a juvenile who will be referred to as Associate 8. However, Associate 8 was apprehended and turned over to the legal guardian by the Box Elder Drug Task Force when Associate 8 attempted to pick up the prescription along with other legitimate prescriptions for Kentrell Gaulden, using his real date of birth, and called in from a provider out of Houston, Texas.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Francine Taylor, DOB 1949, to the U of U Pharmacy in Farmington, UT. The prescription was for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by Associate 5, on 09/15/2023. This incident was reported to the local agency after dispensing the prescription.
- A prescription of Promethazine with Codeine was called in for a patient, Gwendlyn Cox, DOB 1951, to Spence’s Pharmacy in North Logan, UT. The prescription was for an 8-day supply. The prescription was picked up by Associate 2, on 09/21/2023. The prescription was called in again at a later time and identified as fraudulent by the pharmacy.
“It is of value to note that all the patient’s birthdates range in the 40s and 50s, suggesting that they are elderly,” the report says. “In addition, several of the names are repeats including different combinations of first and last names with different birthdays.”
“This list does not include all the likely attempts at calling in the prescriptions to other various pharmacies that have identified it as fraud prior to filling the prescription,” the document reads.
+ SEARCH WARRANT EXECUTION
A search warrant was executed on Gaulden’s multi-million dollar home northeast of Huntsville, Utah on April 16. Gaulden and other guests at the home were detained.
A firearm was located in the home, which Gaulden told detectives belonged to his wife. He claimed to have no recollection of the previous conference call and no knowledge of the fraudulent prescriptions, according to the arrest report.
“The NBA street gang is a group of associates of Kentrell Gaulden’s that have been classified as a gang because of their structure, affiliation, and violent behavior. Kentrell Gaulden’s music is heavily influenced by such behavior, as he is consistently rapping about shooting and killing people, using drugs, and having a strong dislike for law enforcement,” the document states.
Gaulden is being held without bond on 63 counts, including possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, identity fraud, procuring or attempting to procure drugs or prescriptions, forgery, and possession of marijuana.
A federal judge based in Baton Rouge signed a request from federal prosecutors to schedule a bond revocation hearing following the arrest.
An attorney representing YoungBoy issued a statement saying in part, “Everyone is presumed innocent and he has been falsely accused in the past.”
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