YUMA —The Yuma County Attorney’s Office filed felony drug and weapons charges Friday against rapper Lil Wayne.
Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was charged in justice court in Wellton, Ariz. with one count each of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
The 25-year-old is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Feb. 12.
Carter was in court, where a judge lifted a restriction prohibiting him from leaving the state. He was arrested after his tour bus was stopped in southern Arizona late Tuesday and is free on bail.
Carter’s attorney, James Tilson, said his client was mostly staying positive.
“He seems upbeat. He is very concerned about the charges,” Tilson said.
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Free to travel outside Arizona until his next hearing, Carter was on his way to perform in Richmond, Va. Friday night.
“He absolutely will be present at his next court date,” Tilson said.
Carter’s bus was stopped at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Dateland, 78 miles east of Yuma.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Ramona Sanchez said after the arrest that a Border Patrol canine unit alerted agents to the presence of illegal drugs. A search of the bus yielded nearly four ounces of marijuana, just over an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstacy and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia and DEA agents then arrested Carter.
Officials also found a .40-caliber pistol registered to Carter, who has a concealed weapons permit in Florida. Carter was traveling with 11 others and heading east, likely coming from California.
Two other men were arrested with him. One was charged Friday with possession of marijuana, the other is expected in court later Friday.
In October, Carter and several other rappers were named in a federal lawsuit filed by music publishing companies, accusing them of sampling other artists’ songs without paying licensing fees.
Rapper Birdman and Lil Wayne won a viewers’ choice award for their song “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” at Black Entertainment Television’s 2007 Hip-Hop Awards.
