Lil’ Wayne is facing a count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. This federal offense could put Lil’ Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., in prison for up to 10 years.
This charge is stemming from a Dec. 2019 incident when the rapper boarded a private plane with a gun and ammunition. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has brought the charges against Lil’ Wayne.
Howard Srebnick, who is Lil’ Wayne’s attorney, released the following statement:
[Lil Wayne] is charged with possessing a gold-plated handgun in his luggage on a private plane. 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.
Although the Supreme Court has not yet decided the constitutional question, Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently wrote an appellate dissenting opinion in which she stated that “Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk, permanently disqualifying [a convicted felon] from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment.”
On Dec. 11, Lil’ Wayne will appear in a Miami federal court for the weapons charge.
