Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, was arrested after failing to register as a sex offender, Us Weekly can confirm.
Petty’s brush with the law occurred on November 15, 2019, when he was booked for “knowingly” failing to register as a sex offender, according to legal documents obtained by Us. He registered as a Level 2 sex offender on the New York State Sex Offender Registry, but neglected to do so upon moving to California in July 2019.
The “Megatron” rapper’s spouse was released on the same day of his arrest after posting a $20,000 bond.
Months later, federal prosecutors filed an indictment against Petty on February 25 due to his negligence. A criminal charge was also filed against Petty by the Los Angeles County District Attorney for his “failure to register initially or after address change.”
A source confirmed to Us that Petty pleaded not guilty to charges during his Los Angeles court appearance on Wednesday, March 4. He was ordered to undergo electronic monitoring and any travel he will make is restricted to Southern California, the insider added.
In addition to Wednesday’s court appearance, he will appear before the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, March 6. His trial date is set for April 28.
If convicted of the federal charge, Petty could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a source told Us.
The incident is in connection with a conviction he faced 25 years ago, when he was charged with the first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl in April 1995. Petty, who was also 16 at the time, served four years behind bars over the crime.
A few years later, Petty landed back in prison after pleading guilty in 2006 to a first-degree manslaughter charge for his involvement in a 2002 shooting. He was ordered to serve 10 years for the charge, but he concluded his sentence in 2013.
Petty also pleaded guilty in March 2019 to driving with a suspended license.
Minaj, 37, first met Petty when she was a 16-year-old high school student living in Queens, New York. After the pair reconnected in 2018, the “Super Bass” artist revealed via Instagram that the pair tied the knot in October 2019.
Last June, Minaj opened up about how content she was in her romance with Petty during her Queen Radio show. “I think I have what I was striving for, just happiness,” she admitted at the time. “It was so hard to get to a happy place. Now that I’m there, I don’t want to compromise that for anyone or anything.”
With reporting by Marjorie Hernandez
