90’s rapper-turned-reality TV star Coolio, 45, whose government name is Artist Leon Ivey, Jr., plead guilty June 26 after being charged with possession of cocaine.
The rapper is known best for his hits in the mid-1990’s which included “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage.”
The charges come from an incident on March 6th where he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport, where cocaine was found inside a luggage search by authorities. Along with possession of cocaine, Coolio made matters worse by resisting arrest and getting a charge of battery when he grabbed the arm of the luggage screener to prevent the search.
In total, the charges against him are: one felony count of drug possession and two misdemeanors: battery and possession of a smoking device.
The judge actually advised that the rapper consider a plea bargain as Coolio initially pled not guilty to all of the charges against him.
Fortunately, his plea will allow him to avoid jail time, with the battery charge being dropped, and he will enter an 18-month drug rehabilitation program, according to a spokeswoman for the prosecutors. Coolio could have faced three years in prison had he not pled guilty and was convicted of all the charges against him, according to Jane Robsion, spokeswoman for the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
The program is known as Deferred Entry of Judgment, and if he is able to complete the program, Coolio can request to have the judge dismiss the case, said Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Inda.
As his rap career has catapulted into obscurity, he is most known now for his appearances and participation on reality TV shows such as “Celebrity Big Brother,” “Celebrity Fear Factor” and his own “Cookin’ With Coolio” and “Coolio’s Rules.”
Coolio is scheduled to report back to the LAX Superior Court on September 28th in order to get a progress report.
