Kevin Gates is no longer allowed to visit his friends and family that are behind bars in Louisiana prisons.
According to the local NBC-affiliate KALB News, the Louisiana Department of Corrections has banned Gates from all of its facilities. This is the conclusion of an investigation into allegations that Gates brought an illegal amount of money into the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center while visiting a group of inmates.
In July, the rapper posted a now-deleted picture to his Instagram in which he's flaunting a large sum of money inside the St. Gabriel facility. Per his picture and caption, Gates was visiting C-Murder, his son, Lee Lucas, and several other inmates. This was in violation of a state law that prohibits visitors from bringing more than $300 into any Department of Corrections' building.
"As indicated in the photograph, it appears Mr. Gates had a large sum of cash, which is unacceptable, and a violation," a Department of Corrections spokesperson, Ken Pastorick, told The Advocate. "It is against Elayn Hunt Correctional Center policy to bring case exceeding $300 into the prison, and any amount above that is considered contraband."
Pastorick also revealed that several employees—including a deputy warden—have been disciplined for allowing the violation to happen. Investigators learned that Gates entered the facility without showing proper identification and bypassed security checkpoints. "Following the investigation, Warden Tim Hooper ended Perry Stagg’s detail as Deputy Warden of Elayn Hunt Correctional Center," Pastorick said in a statement. "Major Jason Linzy received a letter of counseling. Additional training has been provided to staff regarding visitation policies."
Investigators have recommended that Gate be severed with a criminal complaint as well. But, there is limited evidence of the contraband so it is likely that the ban will be his only punishment.
Kevin Gates recently released his second studio album, I'm Him, through Bread Winners' Association and Atlantic Records. Members of Gates' team did not immediately respond to Complex’srequest for comment.
