Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to a weapons-possession charge in Miami Federal Court on Friday. The rapper, whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was charged in November.
“Your honor, I plead guilty,†Carter said during the proceeding, where he appeared remotely before Judge Kathleen M. Williams.
While Carter faces up to ten years in prison, prosecutors will recommend a shorter sentence under a plea deal. His sentencing is scheduled for January 28, and he is currently out on bond.
The specific charge is “possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon,†which stems from Carter’s criminal history. Weezy was found guilty in a New York weapons case more than a decade ago, per the Miami Herald.
Howard Srebnick, Carter’s lawyer, previously confirmed to Vulture that this charge is related to a search of his private plane in Miami late last year.
“Carter 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,†Srebnick wrote in an email to Vulture.
This search was first reported by the Herald. The newspaper reported that Miami-Dade cops and FBI agents boarded Carter’s plane on December 23 at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, shortly after its arrival from California. The pilot allowed them to search the jet.
Police alleged that “it was readily apparent†that he “was under the influence of illicit narcotics based on his delayed speech and partially closed eyes,†per the newspaper, which cited a search warrant in its reporting. Two police dogs sniffed the jet. When an FBI asked Carter if he had any weapons on the plane, he said “there is a gold-plated Glock firearm inside his book bag … which was given to him as a Father’s Day gift,†according to the warrant.
Federal prosecutors said in a statement that an anonymous tip led officers to the airport. They claim that Carter told them that he had a gun in his bag. After they got a search warrant, they discovered a “gold-plated Remington 1911, .45-caliber handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition.†Carter’s bag also contained “personal use amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone,†the prosecutors’ statement said.
Srebnick did not immediately reply to a request for comment following Carter’s guilty plea.