Earlier this year, LaMelo Ball and his longtime partner entered a new chapter as first-time parents. But only months after confirming the arrival of their baby boy, Ana Montana is back in the spotlight for a very different reason. This time, she is dealing with legal trouble of her own.
“Montana — real name Analicia Chaves — was arrested Monday in Mecklenburg County,” according to booking records obtained by TMZ. “She was hit with two felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery, plus two misdemeanor counts of simple possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance.
“She was held on a $20,000 bond in connection with the felony charges. The alleged conduct dates back to February 21 … and the paperwork lists Montana’s warrant as being issued September 22, six days before her Monday arrest.”
Chaves was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Oct. 9, 1989. That makes her 12 years older than LaMelo Ball, who was born in 2001. The two were first linked in 2021, though they kept much of their relationship away from the spotlight.
In January 2022, Ball posted a series of photos promoting his LaFrance fashion line. One image showed a woman who appeared to be Montana stepping into an elevator, adding more fuel to the dating speculation. The pair eventually made their relationship Instagram official in 2023.
But Montana’s latest headlines have little to do with her life alongside LaMelo Ball. Chaves’ attorney said the allegations stem from a doctor’s actions. He argued that Montana was not involved in any independent scheme.
“To clarify, the charges allege that a doctor who used a fraudulent DEA registration and NPI number prescribed Alprazolam for Ms. Chaves, and that she used the prescription written by the doctor to obtain the prescribed Alprazolam at a pharmacy,” the lawyer said. “The drug possession charges appear to allege that she possessed the aforementioned Alprazolam upon obtaining it from the pharmacy via the prescription written by the doctor.”
While her attorney works to clarify the circumstances surrounding the case, Montana’s public profile extends well beyond her relationship with LaMelo Ball. She has built a career as a model and influencer, appearing in publications including Smooth and Vibe. Chaves has also featured in music videos for artists such as T.I., Rick Ross and Flo Rida.
Before LaMelo Ball, Montana was linked to Belgian soccer player Axel Witsel in 2013. Then there were rumors that she was dating French soccer star Karim Benzema around 2015. Her personal life also drew fresh attention in March 2026.
She shared a post that left some fans questioning whether something had changed between her and LaMelo Ball.
In the clip, Montana sighed while Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” played in the background. Text over the video read, “POV: You realize everything you’ve been using your whole life is toxic. And now you have to relearn how to exist.”
That was enough to send social media into speculation mode. Some wondered whether the post hinted at a breakup or trouble between Montana and LaMelo Ball. However, nothing in the post directly suggested that she was referring to the then-Hornets star.
LaMelo Ball has faced two legal disputes off the basketball court in recent years. In October 2023, a 12-year-old fan and his family filed a $3.75 million lawsuit, accusing the former Hornets star of driving away from Spectrum Center and running over the boy’s foot.
Ball denied the allegations, and the case was settled confidentially in June 2026. Now, another legal dispute has emerged.
Agape Property Management Group sued LaMelo Ball and his manager over two Uptown Charlotte condos, alleging more than $181,500 in unpaid rent and over $90,000 in HOA fines. Those cases add another layer to the legal headlines surrounding Ball’s personal life, but Montana’s situation is separate from his disputes. The model and influencer now faces charges of her own after an arrest in Mecklenburg County.