NYC delay shouldn't affect Lil Wayne case here

Rap star Lil Wayne's sentencing in a New York City gun case, which was postponed Tuesday, should have no bearing on the charges he still faces in Yuma County.

Yuma County Attorney Jon Smith said his office intends to move forward with its prosecution of the Grammy Award-winning rapper's case here, but added that they may have to address the outcome of the New York case at some point.

"We can only speculate at this time," Smith said. "That is something we will have to deal with when the time comes."

Lil Wayne, one of music's biggest sellers and rap's hottest stars, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in New York, but it was postponed in order to give the rapper time to complete a string of recent dental surgeries before he goes to jail.

That sentencing was rescheduled for March 2. Carter could spend as much as a year in jail under a plea deal he agreed to in the case.

Lil Wayne, 27, pleaded guilty in October to a charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, admitting he illegally had a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun on his tour bus in July 2007. Police found the weapon when they stopped the bus after a Manhattan concert.  

Meanwhile Carter is still facing drug and weapon charges here in Yuma County and his trial on those charges is scheduled to begin March 30.

"(Carter) is aware of his trial date here," Smith said. "He has not been sentenced (in New York) yet and at this time there is no reason to believe that his trial here won't start as scheduled."

In Yuma, Carter has been charged with one count each of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

He was arrested Jan. 22, 2008 at a border checkpoint near Dateland, 78 miles east of Yuma, after authorities said they found cocaine, Ecstasy and a handgun on his tour bus.

A search of the bus yielded nearly four ounces of marijuana, just over an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, according to reports. Drug Enforcement Administration agents then arrested Carter.

Officials also reported finding a .40-caliber pistol registered to Carter, who has a concealed weapons permit in Florida.

Last week, Lil Wayne performed at the Grammy Awards ceremony. His latest album, "Rebirth," was released Feb. 2.