‘American Idol’ Quarterfinalist Arrested for LSD Possession

Former American Idol contestant David Oliver Willis has been arrested and is now facing charges after he was allegedly found driving with LSD in his car. Willis, who made it to the quarterfinals in Season 12 of the hit singing competition, was taken into police custody in Lake County, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 11, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

Willis’ arrest came after authorities pulled him over due to a malfunctioning headlight. According to the documents, when officers approached his vehicle, they could smell marijuana coming from the car, which prompted them to search the vehicle. In their search, officers discovered a grinder and baggies containing several small squares of paper. The paper tested positive for LSD. Although Willis claimed the LSD did not belong to him, authorities ultimately arrested him as he was the only person in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Willis, who admitted to officers that he had been smoking weed with a friend prior to driving, was booked for possession of a controlled substance, which is a third-degree felony. He is set to make a court appearance next month.

Willis is a multi-time American Idol contestant. He first appeared on the competition during Season 12 back in 2013. While Willis wowed the judges with his vocals, he only made it to the quarterfinals before he was sent home. Following his elimination, Willis returned the following season, where he impressed judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. with his cover of “Too Close” by Alex Clare during his audition. According to The Sun, Lopez told Willis, “your voice had such a beautiful tone and presence to it. You played great, too. It felt right,” with Urban adding that Willis sang “effortlessly.” Willis made it through to the next round but was again eliminated. He again returned for Season 14

Willis is just the latest American Idol alum to run into trouble with the law. Willis’ arrest follows the Tuesday, Feb. 8 arrest of Caleb Kennedy, who competed on Season 19 before he was forced to withdraw from the competition. Kennedy, 17, was arrested and charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death after he allegedly drove his truck into a workshop in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. A 54-year-old man in the workshop was injured and rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.

American Idol originally premiered back in 2002. The series aired on Fox for 15 seasons until 2016 before moving to ABC. The series is set to kick off its milestone 20th season on Sunday, Feb. 27 on ABC.