NBA YoungBoy was found not guilty in his federal gun case in California on Friday.
The jury returned with a not guilty verdict just after lunch on Friday after they went into deliberations the day before.
Videos shared online show fans of the rapper reacting to the victorious win outside of the courthouse. NBA YoungBoy was potentially facing 7-10 years in jail in the case, and in a comment to Rolling Stone, he said, “I feel great,” in reaction to the ruling.
The not guilty verdict comes as the prosecution fought a losing battle to prove that a gun found in the car NBA YoungBoy was driving belonged to him. The prosecution’s case began on a downward spiral after the judge threw out their motion to enter rap lyrics to tie him to the gun despite them being allowed to enter into evidence a Shyne photo or the Instagram video.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s attorney, in a report by Rolling Stone, said that the images presented by the prosecution could not be distinguished from a toy gun, the Tokyo Marui Airsoft FNX-45 replica gun that sells for $169.
In summation to the jury, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Elbogen said that the gun was found in YoungBoy’s car, although it was not bought in his name.
“I don’t think in the 10 or 12 days that he had this brand new car that he had tons of people using it and hanging out in the back who might have just left a very expensive gun behind. And if you’re a good friend, you wouldn’t leave it in a car for a friend who you know is a felon, either,” she told the jury.
“We saw him in Baton Rouge right after the gun was purchased with a gun that looks like it,” she said about the Instagram video. “I submit to you, if you focus on the evidence in this case, your job will be very simple. You will find the defendant guilty of being a felon in possession.”
Meanwhile, NBA YoungBoy is still on house arrest following his ongoing Louisiana case also for illegal gun possession. The rapper scored a major victory last month after the presiding judge ruled that surveillance video evidence prosecutors wanted to be entered into evidence was inadmissible because officers had no legal authority to obtain it due to a faulty search warrant.
