Rapper Kodak Black was taken into custody this week on a drug trafficking accusation in central Florida, marking his latest involvement with law enforcement. The rapper, known legally as Bill Kapri, was incarcerated at the Orange County jail on Wednesday under a felony charge of trafficking MDMA, a synthetic substance commonly referred to as ecstasy or molly. Kapri formally pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial the following day. Additionally, he opted out of appearing in person for a future arraignment hearing in state court.
The arrest of Kapri came subsequent to a police intervention in December, prompted by reports of gunfire in an Orlando neighborhood. Law enforcement officers discovered a gathering of individuals near parked upscale vehicles, among them Kapri, as detailed in a police report. During the encounter, an officer observed a white substance on a $100 bill inside a Lamborghini SUV, emitting a cannabis odor, prompting a search of the vehicle. This search led to the discovery of a pink bag containing a plastic pouch of MDMA, $37,000 US in cash, and various documents bearing Kapri’s name, according to the police report.
The pink bag found matched one depicted in a photo shared by Kapri on his Instagram account. Notably, it contained a distinctive lighter also seen in the photo, as mentioned by investigators. Although everyone present at the scene denied ownership of the bag, including Kapri, the rapper claimed the money inside belonged to his business and requested its return.
Representatives Ambrosia Healy and Kevin Young from Universal Music Group, who represent Kapri, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Kapri was released on bail the same night, according to a spokesperson from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Kapri has encountered legal troubles in the past. In 2023, authorities in Plantation, Florida, detained Kapri while he was asleep in a vehicle with white powder around his mouth, officials disclosed. Initially suspected to be cocaine, the powder was later identified through lab testing as oxycodone, for which Kapri had a valid prescription. This arrest violated his probation from an unrelated case, resulting in a two-month incarceration in Miami.
Furthermore, in 2022, Kapri was arrested on allegations of trafficking oxycodone and possessing a controlled substance without a prescription. He was granted release on bond with mandatory drug testing as a condition. Court records revealed that Kapri was mandated to undergo a 30-day stint in drug rehabilitation in 2023 after missing a drug test and subsequently testing positive for fentanyl.
In January 2021, former President Donald Trump commuted a three-year federal prison sentence that Kapri was serving for falsifying documents to purchase firearms. Attributed to his persona as Kodak Black, Kapri has amassed over 30 million single sales, achieving chart-topping success with hits like “Super Gremlin,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.
