Rapper Kodak Black was taken into custody this week on a drug trafficking allegation in central Florida, marking another legal entanglement for the artist. Bill Kapri, known professionally as Kodak Black, was detained at Orange County jail on Wednesday on a serious charge of trafficking MDMA, a synthetic substance commonly referred to as ecstasy or molly. Kapri submitted a written plea of not guilty on Thursday and requested a trial by jury, opting to forgo attending an upcoming arraignment in person.
The arrest of Kapri followed a police response in December to reports of gunfire in an Orlando neighborhood. Upon arrival, officers discovered a group of individuals gathered near high-end vehicles, including Kapri. Subsequently, during a vehicle search, prompted by the presence of a white substance on a $100 bill inside a Lamborghini SUV emitting a cannabis odor, authorities uncovered a pink bag containing MDMA, $37,000 US currency, and various documents bearing Kapri’s name.
The pink bag found in the vehicle matched the one displayed in a photo on Kapri’s Instagram account and contained a distinct lighter also visible in the image, as per investigators. Despite denials from all individuals present, including Kapri, regarding ownership of the bag, Kapri claimed the money belonged to his business and requested its return. Representatives Ambrosia Healy and Kevin Young from Universal Music Group did not offer a response to an email seeking comment.
Kapri was released on bail Thursday evening, according to a spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This incident adds to Kapri’s history of legal troubles, including a 2023 arrest in Plantation, Fla., where he was found asleep at the wheel with white powder around his mouth. Although initial tests identified the substance as cocaine, subsequent lab results revealed it to be oxycodone, for which Kapri had a prescription. This arrest violated his probation from an unrelated case, resulting in a two-month detention in Miami.
In 2022, Kapri was also arrested on charges related to oxycodone trafficking and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Following his release on bond, Kapri was mandated to undergo regular drug testing. In 2023, he was ordered to attend a 30-day drug rehabilitation program after a missed drug test and subsequent positive fentanyl test, according to court documents. President Donald Trump commuted a three-year federal prison sentence for Kapri in January 2021, reducing his sentence after serving approximately half of the term.
Under his pseudonym Kodak Black, Kapri has achieved significant commercial success, with over 30 million singles sold, including the popular track “Super Gremlin,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.