Coolio Charged with Felony Firearm Possession Following Arrest at LAX

Coolio has been charged with felony firearm possession following an arrest at LAX this past month.

The Los Angeles Times reports that charges against the rapper are going forward after security personnel at the airport found a loaded gun in a bag belonging to Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey. The stolen weapon was discovered when his bag was going through the X-ray machine, and has been out on bail since the incident occurred.

Ivey was arrested at 10:50 a.m. on Sept. 17 and originally someone else was detained for his crime.

When airport officials looked inside his bag, they found that it “contained items belonging to one of the suspect’s traveling companions," namely Ivey. By the time the gun was discovered, he had already left the security check area and had boarded a plane.

Airport police officer Alicia Hernandez said in a statement to Los Angeles Daily News, “Upon arrival airport police immediately took possession of the carry-on bag in the X-Ray screening. They also detained a 39-year-old bodyguard who claimed to own the bag."

Once Coolio admitted the truth, he was booked at a local police station and his bodyguard was released without repercussions. His bail ended up being $37,808. TMZ later obtained footage of Ivey being handcuffed at the airport.

The 53-year-old "Gangsta's Paradise" rapper has two prior convictions on his record, including carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle in 2001. He was also convicted of cocaine possession in 2009, which was also discovered in his bag at LAX.

After his arrest last month, Coolio posted a video on YouTube telling fans that things were “fine,” and the whole incident was a “misunderstanding.”

“Everything’s fine. I’m fine,” he said. “As you can see, I’m at P.F. Chang’s having a meal and having a few drinks. I mean, I don’t know what’s gonna be the result of this in the future, but for now, I’m fine and I appreciate everyone’s concerns.”

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