Lil’ Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, had previously pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession – charges that carried a minimum of 3 ½ years in prison if convicted.
Lil’ Wayne’s legal troubles began in 2007 when police found a gun on his tour bus. But his New York woes aren’t the only problems keeping the artist’s defense lawyers employed. He is also scheduled for trial in Arizona on felony drug possession and weapons charges resulting from a January 2008 arrest at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint.
Today’s surprise guilty plea occurred during a pre-trial hearing regarding DNA evidence. According to the New York Daily News, Lil’ Wayne expects to be sentenced to a year in prison for copping to the crime.
Reports indicate Lil’ Wayne was the perfect gentleman during today’s court proceedings, answering questions with “yes, Sir” and “no, Sir” as he pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted weapon possession.
At one point when the judge warned the performer he would not be able to withdraw the plea as some people try to do, Lil’ Wayne responded, “I’m not one of those people.”
Police stopped Lil’ Wayne’s tour bus in NYC’s Columbus Circle on July 22, 2007, and later said they had seen and smelled marijuana smoke floating out the door of the vehicle before it left the Beacon Theatre.
According to police, Lil’ Wayne tossed a Louis Vuitton bag containing the gun out of the bus as they approached the vehicle. Prosecutors claimed small amounts of DNA were found on the gun linking the rapper.
Click here for the New York Daily News article.