In Miami federal court, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, better known by the stage name Lil Wayne, pleaded guilty to illegal firearm possession and will face up to ten years in prison.

Lil Wayne is a top-selling American hip-hop artist who has sold over 120 million records, won five Grammys among other music awards, and owns Young Money Entertainment.

The 38-year-old had already been convicted of a felony in October of 2009 for carrying a 0.40-caliber pistol on his tour bus. At the time, his attorney asserted the gun did not belong to the rapper, but Lil Wayne accepted the plea agreement and was sentenced to prison for one year. 

On December 23, 2019, an anonymous tip had led officers with a search warrant to Opa Locka Executive Airport, where Lil Wayne had just arrived from California. The rapper was caught carrying a gold-plated, 0.45-caliber handgun, cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone carried in a bag on his private plane which eventually led to his pleading guilty on Friday. He was not charged with any drug crimes. 

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams set his sentencing date to January 28, 2021, where he will be charged with max sentencing of a decade. However, Lil Wayne’s lawyers and federal prosecutors have worked out a guilty plea, so the rapper is expected to receive much less, if any, jail time. He is currently free on a $250,000 bail.

On top of the criminal charge, Carter is being sued by his former manager for more than $20 million for what they declare they are owed for unpaid commissions. This outcome has yet to be decided. 

By Chelsea Lee