Coolio Pleads Guilty to Possession of Concealed Weapon: ‘I Do Not Condone the Use of Firearms’
Coolio pled guilty to possession of a concealed weapon in Los Angeles Wednesday.
The rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., avoided jail time and instead was placed on probation for three years, as well as ordered to complete 45 days of community service. The felony charge will also be reduced to a misdemeanor if he remains on his best behavior and does not use or carry a gun for one year.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Coolio, 53, told reporters outside of court, according to TMZ and the Los Angeles Times. “I do not condone the use of firearms, illegal or legal. Thanks to the court and the attorneys handling this for me so I can still do the good work that I do … I was very worried. I don’t do crime and I am not into anything illegal, so it should be easy .”
Coolio’s manager did not return request for comment.
Last month, Coolio was arrested after a firearm was allegedly discovered in his bag during a screening at Los Angeles International Airport. At the time, Coolio’s rep said the firearm belonged to a member of Coolio’s security team and that he was fully cooperating with police, according to TMZ.
The “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper also released a video statement on YouTube on Sept. 17, calling the incident a “misunderstanding” and showing that he was out on bail, enjoying a dinner at P.F. Chang’s.
“I don’t know what’s going to be the result of this in the future but for now I’m fine and I appreciate everybody’s concerns,” he said. “We gotta push on and try to forward, forward hip-hop.”
According to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office earlier this month, Coolio was facing one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon with two priors.
