Lil Wayne Charged With Federal Weapons Possession After Previous Felony Conviction, Faces 10 Years in Prison

Rapper Lil Wayne has found himself in the midst of a very serious legal matter. On Tuesday, [...]

By Stephanie Downs

Rapper Lil Wayne has found himself in the midst of a very serious legal matter. On Tuesday, Variety reported that Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, has been charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by the U.S. District Attorney in the Southern District of Florida. If he is convicted, Wayne could face up to 10 years in prison because he is a convicted felon.

According to the Miami Herald, during a holiday trip in late December 2019, Wayne was traveling on a private plane when federal authorities searched the aircraft. The publication reported that authorities allegedly discovered a gold-plated pistol, which the rapper said was a Father's Day gift. The authorities also allegedly found bullets, marijuana, heroin, pain killers, prescription-strength cough syrup, a substance that they suspected to be cocaine, and $25,938 in cash. It should be noted that Wayne has not been charged with any drug-related offenses. Although, he remains tied to a new gun charge because of a prior conviction over a decade ago.

"The United States Attorney charges that on or about Dec. 23, 2019, in Miami-Dade County, in the Southern District of Florida, Dwayne Michael Carter, a.k.a. 'Lil Wayne,' knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1)," court documents said.

Wayne was previously arrested in July 2007 for possession of a firearm as a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic gun was found on his tour bus. He later pleaded guilty in 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He served eight months in prison of his one-year sentence, meaning that he is considered to be a convicted felon in this new case.

Howard Srebnick, Wayne's attorney, said that he plans to challenge this new federal gun charge. The lawyer said that "there is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it. There is no allegation that he is a dangerous person. The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm." The Miami Herald noted that Wayne is expected to appear in federal court in Miami on Dec. 11.

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