NLE Choppa claims drugs were planted on him and calls Florida arrest a set up: 'I will walk a free man'
NLE Choppa finally broke his silence on his arrest. The 18-year-old rapper, whose real name is Bryson Lashun Potts, was arrested on Sunday, March 28, in South Florida and is facing charges of burglary, drug possession and carrying a concealed firearm. He was booked into Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to reports, Choppa and another person were caught on surveillance cameras around 2 am, wearing ski masks and jumping over a gate at Superior Towing Company in Davie to get into the tow yard off State Road 84 on Southwest 66th Terrace. Davie Police said that the rapper told them that he jumped over the fence to get a watch out of a car that was in the tow yard. The arrest report says it was towed earlier in the day, but it turns out the vehicle wasn't even in that tow yard. Choppa's bail was set at $4,500, which he was able to pay shortly after his arrest.
READ MORE
Cops said they found a Glock 27 with an extended magazine and an AK-47 Draco pistol in the vehicle, near where the rapper was caught. At that time, those fully-loaded guns were not claimed by anyone on the scene. Additionally, police claimed they also found a purple and yellow backpack containing seven grams of marijuana and three-and-a-half Xanax pills. The police also said the rapper claimed ownership of the bag while on the scene.
Choppa took to social media on April 1 to share his statement on the arrest, in which the rapper alleges that it was a setup. Captioning the statement with "Stay Woke" on Twitter, the rapper wrote, "To begin when you start changing lives around you and began to stand for something deep in your purpose you become a target to a certain group of people and also the devil." He continued, “During this arrest I was setup, substances were planted on me that I don’t consume/use/own, my name was lied upon, and I was mistreated in the process."
"Every media outlet, news channel, and etc covered this story to paint a picture on a new surface I’ve been working so hard to create. This case will be beat and I will walk a free man, remember it’s innocent until proven guilty not guilty until proven innocent," Choppa said, adding, "Asking my supporters to stand firm with me and allow God to do his work. Thank you and love y’all dearly."
Soon after Choppa was released from prison, he released a new video for the 'Beat Box' freestyle, which features him rapping over SpottemGotem's 'Beat Box' single. The video is directed by the rapper himself and he can be seen playing with knives in his kitchen and doing the "Beat Box" challenge in his driveway. Towards the end of the clip, Choppa showcases his new merch line which features hoodies and T-shirts featuring his mugshot from the arrest. Watch the video below.
Choppa, a Memphis native, is an increasingly popular rapper, as well as singer and songwriter. He rose to fame with the release of his January 2019 single 'Shotta Flow' (featured on his debut EP 'Cottonwood'), which was certified platinum by the RIAA and peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Choppa's debut studio album 'Top Shotta' arrived last year and peaked at No. 10 on the US Billboard 200. Its single 'Walk Em Down' (featuring Roddy Ricch) reached the top 36 of the Billboard Hot 100.