Lil Wayne faces a year in prison for being near a gun in a bag that belonged to his manager

Mar 2 2010 6:50 AM EST
Lil Wayne To Be Sentenced, Begin Jail Term Today
After a postponement for dental surgery, the Cash Money MC is expected to turn himself in.

By Jayson Rodriguez



http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632931/20100301/index.jhtml

The rapper reached a deal with prosecutors in November to plead out to a lesser deal and in return he is expected to be released from prison as early as October of this year. In 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested for gun possession following his first headlining performance in Manhattan at the Beacon Theater. A gun-possession charge in New York could have landed the Cash Money superstar behind bars for up to 15 years if he was convicted.

New York is among the toughest states in the country when it comes to gun-possession laws.

In other states, Lil Wayne could have reasonably gotten off with a misdemeanor rap and probation. However, in New York, mostly law-enforcement officials and those affiliated with authorities are permitted to carry firearms. The Empire State's stringent gun laws were originally enacted during former governor George Pataki's administration.

Ultimately, what Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to amounts to him being able to have access to a gun. Police did not find a weapon on the rapper when his tour bus was searched. Rather, the gun — registered to his manager — was in a bag located near the rapper, hence the attempted charge.