Rapper Kodak Black was taken into custody this week on a drug trafficking accusation in central Florida, marking his latest legal entanglement. The artist, known as Bill Kapri in real life, was detained at the Orange County jail on Wednesday under a serious charge of trafficking MDMA, a synthetic substance commonly referred to as ecstasy or molly. Kapri submitted a written plea of innocence and requested a trial by jury on Thursday, opting to forego personal appearance at a forthcoming arraignment hearing in state court.
The arrest of Kapri came subsequent to a police incident in December, triggered by reports of gunfire in an Orlando neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers discovered a gathering of individuals near high-end vehicles, including Kapri, as detailed in a police report. During the investigation, an officer observed a white substance on a $100 bill within a Lamborghini SUV emitting a cannabis odor. Subsequent examination of the vehicle unveiled a pink bag containing MDMA, $37,000 US, and various documents bearing Kapri’s name, according to the police report.
The distinctive pink bag resembled one seen in a photo shared by Kapri on his Instagram account. Notably, it also contained a unique lighter depicted in the same photo, investigators revealed. Despite all individuals at the scene disavowing ownership of the bag, including Kapri, the rapper claimed the money was associated with his business and sought its return.
Representatives Ambrosia Healy and Kevin Young from Universal Music Group, who advocate for Kapri, did not respond to an email requesting comment. Kapri was released on bail Thursday evening, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Additionally, Kapri has encountered legal challenges in the past. In 2023, authorities in Plantation, Fla., detained Kapri after discovering him asleep behind the wheel with a white substance around his mouth, initially suspected to be cocaine but later confirmed as oxycodone following laboratory analysis, for which Kapri possessed a prescription. This incident violated his probation from an unrelated case, resulting in a two-month detention in Miami.
Kapri was also apprehended in 2022 on accusations of oxycodone trafficking and possessing a controlled substance without a prescription. Released on bond with mandatory drug testing conditions, Kapri was mandated to undergo a 30-day drug rehabilitation program in 2023 after failing a drug test and subsequently testing positive for fentanyl, according to court documents.
Moreover, in January 2021, former President Donald Trump commuted a three-year federal jail term that Kapri was serving for falsifying documents to purchase firearms. Kapri, under his stage name Kodak Black, has amassed over 30 million single sales, achieving significant success with tracks like “Super Gremlin,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.