Lil Wayne is among the recipients of a slew of pardons being issued by President Trump just hours before the commander in chief leaves office.
The “6 Foot 7 Foot” rapper had faced up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal firearm charge last year. The entertainer, born Dwayne Carter, Jr., was charged in 2019 with illegally carrying a loaded handgun while traveling from California to Florida.
Trump’s pardon comes after he met with Lil Wayne last year.
The 38-year-old performer revealed he had a “great meeting” with Trump in October, saying the two discussed the president’s proposed “Platinum Plan” to help the Black community. A photo of the pair, showing Trump giving a thumbs up next to the grinning rapper, raised eyebrows when Lil Wayne tweeted it following their face-to-face.
Trump has been criticized for forgoing the traditional process and wielding his pardon power to help prominent supporters of his, as well as those with famous connections.
In 2018, he granted clemency to Alice Johnson following a meeting with reality TV star and criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian West in the Oval Office. Johnson had been serving a life sentence for a drug offense. The president issued Johnson a full pardon after she delivered remarks at the 2020 Republican National Convention.
