Prosecutors spent considerable time Wednesday going over the FNX-45 pistol and $700,000 worth of high-end jewelry found in rapper NBA YoungBoy’s Mercedes Maybach during an arrest. The defense focused on what wasn’t found – fingerprints.
FBI Forensic Examiner Icel Kuznetsova, an expert in the field of latent print examinations, testified that she scoured the FN’s magazine and 12 rounds of ammunition but retrieved “no suitable latents,”Prints that mean “meaning”.
YoungBoy, who is legalized as Kentrell Gaulden claims that he didn’t know the gun was in his car when LAPD officers pulled him over on March 22, 2021 to arrest him on an LAPD warrant for gun possession.
“There’s no evidence based on any of your analysis that shows that Mr. Gaulden touched those particular items at all, is that correct?”Andrew Flier, defense lawyer, asked Wednesday about the magazine and cartridges.
“I did not develop any prints on these items,” Kuznetsova said.
Kuznetsova, an Assistant U.S. attorney Rajesh Srinivasan was asked directly about the issue of insufficient usable prints. She testified there’s only about a 10 percent success rate when it comes to extracting usable prints from firearms and magazines due to a variety of reasons, including “anti-moisture coating”Check out the products.
Gaulden pleaded not guilty to both the California case and Louisiana case. These cases center on the same charge: that of being a felon with possession of a firearm. This is due to his 2017 conviction in aggravated assault using a firearm.
Next up is the Louisiana case. This involves disputed allegations that Gaulden and 16 other Black men were in possession of two guns at the time he was taken into custody in Baton Rouge, September 28, 2020. After the indictment was secured, FBI agents began to monitor Gaulden in Los Angeles. They coordinated with LAPD to pull his Mercedes Maybach over on March 22, 2021 to execute a felony warrant.
Gaulden ran from the traffic stop after an LAPD officer unholstered his weapon. Prosecutors claim that a high-speed chase took place through a residential area. Authorities ended up using a helicopter and a K-9 unit to find Gaulden hiding in a stranger’s backyard. During opening statements, his defense lawyer stated that Gaulden did not know of the warrant.
Prosecutors claim that a FN.45 calibre pistol was located under the Maybach’s seat floorboard. Gaulden’s defense claims the gun was hidden under the seat by someone else and that their client had no idea it was there.
Now serving pre-trial house arrest after his release from jail in October, Gaulden appeared in court Wednesday wearing his GPS ankle monitor.
AUSA Srinivasan spent much of the morning leading FBI Special agent Andrew Roosa through a long series of photos showing the many luxury watches, diamond-encrusted pendants, chains, and rings found tucked inside two cases in Gaulden’s Maybach. Roosa testified that he also found Gaulden’s Louisiana state ID card, some of his bank cards, and paperwork related to his leasing of the Maybach just days before the arrest.
When it was Gaulden’s turn to cross-examine Roosa, his lead lawyer James Manasseh focused on other items in the car, suggesting his client wasn’t the only person using or being transported in the high-end vehicle. He also showed jurors photos of three large bags of clothing that were found in the trunk. One was a large shopping bag with handles from McDonald’s.
“Does this look like a bag that is for a large quantity of food from McDonald’s?”Manasseh asked and was met with an objection by prosecutors.
Manasseh also showed Deondre Smart, a photo showing a key card from Beverly Hilton Hotel and a parking receipt.
“Did anybody investigate to see whose room that was for?”He asked.
“I do not know. I did not personally,”Roosa was kind enough to respond.
Manasseh then presented jurors with an exhibit that showed jurors a receipt from The Boiling Crab Restaurant, which was also inside the car. The bill was listed as $221.76 on the long receipt.
“It’s for multiple items of food. Do you know who that belonged to?” Manasseh asked.
“No,” Roosa replied.
“Did anyone go and check out the cameras to see who ate at that restaurant?”The lawyer continued and raised an objection which was accepted.
Gaulden faces years in prison if he is convicted.