Lil Wayne is facing up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a weapons charge in Miami federal court on Friday. The case stems from an incident in December 2019 when an anonymous tip sent law enforcement to Opa Locka Executive Airport where the 38-year-old rapper (born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.) landed after traveling from California. Officers, who secured a search warrant after Lil Wayne told them he had a gun in his bag, looked through his belongings and found a gold-plated Remington 1911, .45-caliber handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition. The Associated Press reports that he told investigators the handgun was a Father’s Day gift.
“The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm,” said Howard Srebnick, the rapper’s attorney. Lil Wayne was previously convicted of a gun possession charge in 2010, for which he served eight months of a one-year sentence. His sentencing hearing for the latest charge is scheduled for Jan. 28. Although he’s facing up to a decade in federal prison, AP reports that he’ll likely serve less time. He is currently free on $250,000 bail.