At least Lil Wayne was free in time to make the 3:10 out of Yuma.
The Yuma County Attorney's Office charged the rap star with four felony drug and weapon-related charges Friday in Wellton Justice Court in connection with his arrest earlier this week when Border Patrol officers allegedly found marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy and several handguns in his tour bus while it was stopped at a checkpoint in southwestern Arizona.
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., is facing one count each of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 12. In the meantime, a judge lifted a bail restriction preventing Wayne from leaving the state, and the 25-year-old headed off to Richmond, Virginia, where he's scheduled to perform.
"He is very concerned about the charges," Yuma-based defense attorney James Tilson said of his client, who was greeted by a swarm of excited fans outside the courthouse when he arrived for his arraignment. "He absolutely wll be present at his next court date."
Wayne was stopped at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday and booked into Yuma County Jail at 6 a.m. Wednesday on suspicion of possession of dangerous drugs, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, according to Yuma County Sheriff's spokesman Capt. Eben Bratcher.
The self-proclaimed "Best Rapper Alive" was released a little before 2 p.m. Wednesday on a $10,185 bond after being arraigned via video at the Wellton courthouse, about 35 miles east of Yuma.
Two members of Wayne's 11-person entourage were also busted for alleged marijuana possession. Curtis Stewart, who drove to court with Wayne, was formally charged Friday morning, but Harold Johnson missed his flight out of Louisiana and was given until 5 p.m. to appear.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Ramona Sanchez said nearly four ounces of pot, nearly an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy, miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, $22,000 in cash and three guns were recovered from the suspects' bus. After the bus was pulled over for a routine check on Interstate 8, a drug dog alerted officers to the presence of possible substances.
While two of the firearms were legally registered to two of Wayne's friends, officers also turned up a .40-caliber pistol registered to Wayne in Florida, where he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Also still plaguing Wayne is a pending drug case in Atlanta, gun and pot charges in New York and a lawsuit brought by a Miami jewelry company that claims he has yet to pay for $146,000 worth of bling he purchased in October.
The New Orleans native has pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing a controlled substance stemming from his August 2006 arrest in Atlanta after police allegedly found marijuana and more than 100 Xanax and hydrocodone, or cough suppressant, pills in his hotel room after being tipped off by a hotel employee.
In the meantime, the mix-tape master, who lately has made a career of guest-rapping on other artists' albums, is putting the finishing touches on Tha Carter III, which now has a Mar. 18 release date.
Wayne was named MVP of the Year at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards in October and shared the Alltel People's Choice Award with Birdman for their collaboration on the single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy."
(Originally published Wed., Jan. 23, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. PT)