Lil Wayne could face up to 10 years in prison after being charged with being in possession of a firearm by a court in Florida.
According to court documents filed yesterday (November 17), Lil Wayne “knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition” in December 2019, despite knowing knowing he had the previous felony on his record.
Upon arriving in Miami on a private plane on December 23 last year, Wayn’e luggage was searched and a gold-plated handgun and ammunition was found. At the time, the 38-year-old rapper allegedly told police the weapon was a Father’s Day gift.
The new charge relates to a weapons conviction in 2009 where Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and served eight months of a one-year sentence.
Convicted felons are banned from owning firearms under federal law.
Speaking to Vulture, Wayne’s lawyer – Howard Screbnick, said: “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.”
He added: “There is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it.”
An initial court date on the weapons charge is set for December 11 in Miami federal court.