NEW YORK — Rap star Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to felony gun possession on Thursday in a plea deal expected to land him in jail for one year, the Associated Press reports.
The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, will remain free on bail until being sentenced in February.
Lil Wayne had previously pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession charges stemming from the 2007 arrest, which carried a sentence of 3½ years behind bars, if convicted. His trial was scheduled to begin on Jan. 20.
When warned by the judge that he would not be able to withdraw his plea, the Grammy winner responded: "I'm not one of those people," AP said.
Police stopped Lil Wayne's tour bus in Manhattan after a concert performance on July 22, 2007, resulting in the discovery of a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic gun. Authorities later used a DNA profiling technique to tie Lil Wayne to the gun found on the bus.
Lil Wayne is also facing felony drug possession and weapons charges, stemming from a 2008 arrest in Arizona.
The music star has a fourth child on the way. It is his first with singer Nivea and third child in about a year.
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