Lil Wayne faces up to 10 years in jail after being charged with firearm possession

Rapper said that the gold-plated gun was a ‘Father’s Day gift’

Lil Wayne could face up to 10 years in jail after being charged with weapons possession in South Florida.

The rapper – real name Dwayne Michael Carter Jr – is currently not in custody nor was he arrested.

According to court documents filed on Tuesday (17 November) that were obtained by Vulture, Wayne “knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition”.

Wayne’s lawyer, Howard Screbnick, confirmed to the publication that the charges relate to Wayne’s criminal history.

Screbnick 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.”

The “Lollipop” singer was convicted in a weapons case in New York in December 2019.

Wayne was travelling on a private plane when federal authorities in California searched the plane and discovered a gold-plated pistol. At the time, he told the police that the weapon was a Father’s Day gift.

Investigators also reportedly found bullets, marijuana, suspected cocaine and heroin on board the plane.

Previous to that, Wayne had pleaded guilty in 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The 38-year-old served eight months of a one-year prison sentence.

Of the new charges, Screbnick said: “There is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it.”

Last month, before the US election, the rapper shared a photo of himself and Donald Trump after the two met to discuss Wayne’s plans for investing $500m in the African-American community during a second term.