Rapper Kodak Black was taken into custody this week on a drug trafficking allegation in central Florida in his most recent clash with law enforcement. The rapper, known legally as Bill Kapri, was formally charged with trafficking MDMA, a synthetic substance commonly known as ecstasy or molly, upon his admission to Orange County jail on Wednesday.
Kapri submitted a written plea of not guilty and requested a trial by jury the following day. Additionally, he opted out of appearing in person for a forthcoming arraignment in state court. The arrest of Kapri ensued subsequent to a police incident in Orlando back in December when authorities responded to reports of gunshots in a local neighborhood. Officers discovered Kapri among a group of individuals congregated near high-end sports utility vehicles parked in the area, as per a police statement.
Upon observing a white substance on a $100 bill within a Lamborghini SUV emitting a cannabis odor, an officer was granted probable cause to search the vehicle. The search unveiled a pink bag containing a plastic package of MDMA, $37,000 US, and various documents bearing Kapri’s name, according to the police report. The distinctive pink bag matched one visible in a photo posted on Kapri’s Instagram account. Investigators noted the presence of a unique lighter in the bag that was also depicted in the same photo.
All individuals present at the scene, including Kapri, disowned ownership of the bag, yet Kapri asserted that the money was related to his business and requested its return. Representatives Ambrosia Healy and Kevin Young from Universal Music Group, who represent Kapri, did not respond to a request for comment via email.
Kapri’s history involves past legal entanglements. In 2023, authorities in Plantation, Florida apprehended Kapri while he was found asleep behind the wheel with white powder around his mouth, initially suspected to be cocaine but later identified through lab testing as oxycodone, for which Kapri held a prescription. This incident breached his probation from a separate case, leading to a two-month detainment in Miami.
Kapri was also detained in 2022 on accusations of oxycodone trafficking and possessing a controlled substance without a valid prescription. He was released on bond with mandatory drug screenings as part of his release terms. Court records indicate that Kapri was directed to undergo a 30-day drug rehabilitation program in 2023 after failing a drug test and subsequently testing positive for fentanyl a few days later.
In January 2021, the then-President Donald Trump commuted a federal prison sentence of three years that Kapri had received for falsifying documents in connection to weapon purchases. Kapri, under his stage name Kodak Black, has amassed over 30 million single sales, achieving notable success with hits like “Super Gremlin,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.