Lil Wayne could face up to 10 years prison for firearm possession; here's why

American rapper Lil Wayne is charged with criminal possession of a firearm and ammunition and now faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted of the gun possession charges.

The 38-year-old Dwayne M. Carter Jr., who goes by the name Lil Wayne, was charged in the Southern District of Miami with criminal possession of a firearm and ammunition. As per the documents, the charges are from an alleged incident that happened on December 23, 2019.

Lil Wayne's lawyer noted that the rapper did not use his firearm at the time of the incident. He told CNN in a statement that there are no allegations that his client ever fired the weapon. He acknowledged that the charges against Lil Wayne are because of his prior history.

"The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm," he added.

"The federal sentencing guidelines call for substantially lower, and I would not look at the maximum exposure to decide anyone's sentence, and all the facts need to be thoroughly reviewed," another attorney for Lil Wayne wrote to CNN.

Lil Wayne's prior arrests

If Lil Wayne is arrested following the charges, then this would not be the first time when the "Best Rapper Alive" singer will face prison time. Lil Wayne was arrested back in 2007 when he was caught smoking marijuana near a tour bus. Following the arrest, police discovered a .40 caliber pistol near his person. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.

Lil Wayne was arrested in October 2007 on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance. However, the charges were later dropped on the grounds of mix-up incidents.

Later in 2008 and 2009, a couple of incidents resulted in prison time for Lil Wayne, including serving a one-year sentence in Rikers Island on weapons charges.

As per the United States federal laws, convicted felons are banned from possessing guns. This might be why Lil Wayne is currently charged and could face up to ten years of prison time. A hearing in the Lil Wayne case is now scheduled for December 11.