Lil Wayne is facing up to 10 years in prison after he was charged Tuesday with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
The charge stems from a search of a private jet at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport last December.
Miami-Dade Police, acting on a tip, alerted the FBI and ATF, who found a gold-plated .45-caliber Clock handgun with a pearl grip inside a Coach bag allegedly belonging to the rap star. The 38-year-old, whose real name is Dwayne Carter Jr., said he received the weapon as a Father’s Day gift.
Lil Wayne’s lawyer Howard Srebnick said in a statement: “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 search also allegedly uncovered cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, heroin, pain killers and prescription-strength cough syrup on the Gulfstream but Lil Wayne is not facing any drug-related charges.
In 2010, Lil Wayne served eight months of a one-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a weapon following a 2007 search of his tour bus in New York City. He was also sentenced to 36 months probation in 2010 after pleading guilty to drug and gun charges from a 2008 search of his tour bus in Arizona.
Last year, the rapper pulled out of a scheduled headline performance at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami Gardens because police wanted to search him before he entered the stadium grounds.
“I do not and will not ever settle for being policed to do my job and give you guys a great show,” he told fans on Twitter.