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Nelly arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee

The rapper was arrested on felony drug charges on Saturday after highway patrol troopers said they found drugs and handguns in the bus he was riding in.
Nelly performs on stage at Indigo2 at The O2 Arena on April 4, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Christie Goodwin/Redferns/Getty)
Nelly performs on stage at Indigo2 at The O2 Arena on April 4, 2015 in London, United Kingdom.

The rapper known as Nelly was arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee on Saturday after highway patrol troopers said they found drugs and handguns in the bus he was riding in.

A Highway Patrol trooper pulled over the bus at around 9:20 a.m. in Putnam County Saturday because a U.S. Department of Transportation International Fuel Tax Association sticker wasn't displayed, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said in a statement.

The trooper said he smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and the bus was searched, the department said. Troopers found five crystalline rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine, a small amount of marijuana and three handguns, the department said. The department said the drugs were found inside a plastic bag in the sleeping area of the bus.

Nelly, 40, is charged with felony possession of drugs and lesser charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, authorities said. Another man, Brian Jones, was arrested for allegedly having a handgun as a convicted felon, the department said.

Nelly and Jones were booked and taken to the Putnam County Jail, and both men posted $10,000 bail and were released at 5:45 p.m. local time (6:45 p.m. ET), jail officials said.

In addition to his music career, Nelly has had acting roles in the 2005 remake of "The Longest Yard" and the television show "CSI: NY." An email to a publicist who says she represents the rap artist was not immediately returned.

This story originally appeared on NBC News