Lil Wayne facing federal gun charge in Florida

MIAMI — Federal authorities on Tuesday charged rapper Lil Wayne with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon stemming from a December visit to Miami, according to court records and multiple reports.

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Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, is expected to appear in court Dec. 11 for an initial appearance. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

In December, federal officials briefly detained Wayne at a Miami airport after authorities received a tip that the private plane on which he was a passenger was transporting drugs. Wayne was one of several people on the plane Dec. 23 when authorities searched it. The Miami Herald reported that authorities found a gold-plated pistol in Wayne’s luggage, which the rapper said he got as a Father’s Day gift.

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Wayne was previously convicted of a felony gun charge in New York in 2009, barring him from possessing firearms, TMZ reported.

Wayne’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, told the Herald that he planned to fight the gun charge unveiled Tuesday.

“(T)here is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it,” Srebnick 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.”

Records obtained by the Herald show authorities also found “bullets, suspected cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, heroin, pain killers and prescription-strength cough syrup often used to make a concoction called Purple Drank” in Wayne’s luggage, along with about $26,000 in cash.

As of Tuesday, no drug-related charges have been filed against the 38-year-old.

Cox Media Group