Rick Ross Arrested on Charges of Kidnapping, Assault
UPDATE: Billboard reports that Ross has been denied bail and is still being held at a Fayette County jail.
Rapper Rick Ross was arrested Wednesday on charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, following an incident that occurred in Fayetteville, Georgia on June 7th. A spokesperson for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to Rolling Stone that Ross was being held at their jail, but declined to comment on the rapper’s specific charges.
A press release posted to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page states that Ross and Nadrian James, a man described by authorities as the rapper’s “bodyguard,” were arrested by a U.S. Marshals Service task force at Ross’s house without incident. The release cites James’ charges as kidnapping and aggravated battery. Jim Joyner, a supervisor with the Marshals’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, told The Associated Press that James was facing the same charges as Ross.
A spokesperson for the rapper did not immediately reply to a request for a comment.
“On June 7, 2015, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation regarding an assault which occurred at a residence on Highway 279 in Fayetteville, GA,” the press release states. “The investigation revealed William Roberts [Ross’s birth name] and Nadrian James as suspects responsible for the assault. On June 24, 2015, members of the U.S. Marshals Southeastern Regional Task Force executed arrest warrants on William Roberts and Nadrian James. They were arrested in Fayetteville, Georgia without incident as a result of this investigation.”
Officers reportedly arrived at Ross’ mansion, but someone inside the residence refused to open the home’s exterior gate. After officers moved past the gate, an individual in the home opened the front door so authorities didn’t have to break it down. “They didn’t put up a struggle or anything,” Joyner told the AP.
Earlier this month, Ross was arrested in Georgia and faced a misdemeanor marijuana charge. After the rapper was pulled over by police in the Atlanta metro area for a window tint violation, an officer smelled and located marijuana in the vehicle. Ross was also arrested in North Carolina last year after failing to appear at a hearing for a 2013 marijuana charge.
Additional reporting by Daniel Kreps