Lil Wayne pleads to attempted gun possession

NEW YORK – Lil Wayne, who owned last year’s best-selling album and is currently No. 1 on the pop charts, pleaded guilty to attempted weapon possession on Thursday, and expects to receive a one-year jail sentence – AP reports. The performer, arguably rap’s most popular artist and one of pop’s biggest acts, previously had pleaded not guilty to illegal gun possession charges that carried at least 3 1/2 years in jail upon conviction. He remains free on bail while awaiting his February sentencing.

In New York, he politely answered the judge’s standard questions with “yes, Sir” and “no, Sir” as he entered his plea to second-degree attempted weapon possession, a felony.

He acknowledged he had a .40 caliber semi-automatic loaded gun on bus. When the judge warned that he would not be able to withdraw the plea as some people try to do, the rapper said, “I’m not one of those people.”

Prosecutors said small amounts of DNA found on the loaded weapon connected it to the platinum-selling artist. Defense lawyer Stacey Richman said the gun wasn’t Lil Wayne’s, and the testing technique was too problematic to prove otherwise.