Rapper Juelz Santana was taken into police custody three days after the TSA found a loaded gun in his bag at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The 36-year-old was arrested on Monday, March 12, and will remain in jail until his preliminary hearing scheduled on March 26. He was booked for an initial appearance in federal court in Newark on Monday.
Possession Of A Loaded Gun
The NJ.com reports that Santana, born LaRon Louis James, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a weapon on an aircraft (even though he never got past the checkpoint), unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of drugs. Santana fled the Newark airport on Friday evening, leaving his possessions, including a loaded gun and his driver's license, behind.
The TSA also found an unidentified controlled substance in his luggage.
The criminal complaint details that the rapper was scheduled to board a plane to San Francisco at 6:25 p.m. According to the people present at the scene, the "The It Go" rapper paced nervously and requested that more people be assigned to check his belongings expeditiously because he was in a hurry and did not want to miss his flight.
Police believed that he fled the airport and hailed a taxi cab after his weapon was discovered.
He was arrested around 1 in the morning by detectives from the Port Authority police. He went with the law enforcement without any incident.
Previous Charges
This is not the first time that the rapper was arrested by the authorities for a pending charge. In 2016, a warrant for his arrest was issued because he owed $30,000 of child support for his 13-year-old son, LaRon Jr. Santana. He was ordered to pay $1,800 a month in 2013.
Back in 2009, he was also arrested after he threatened his then-girlfriend with a knife after a verbal altercation inside his home in New Jersey. The unnamed woman received minor injuries that did not require medical treatment, reports revealed.
In 2011, he was also arrested after the police found two loaded handguns, 17 bags of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in his studio. He pleaded guilty to fourth-degree marijuana distribution.
As a convicted felon, the "Dipset" rapper is facing a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the possession of a firearm. He could also be looking at another 10 years for carrying a weapon in an aircraft.
Santana was scheduled to perform at The Grand Nightclub in San Francisco this week. The rapper recently collaborated with Lil Wayne for the track titled "Bloody Mary."
