Felons possessing guns get hard time in prison under federal law. It’s a no-no under state laws as well. But convicted felon and rapper Coolio caught quite a break in California despite pleading guilty to carrying a handgun as a felon while trying to board a plane at Los Angeles International Airport.
That’s right: Coolio (aka Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) who has gun and drug convictions in his past, carried a gun in his luggage as he attempted to pass through TSA security before boarding a plane at LAX in September.
He was arrested and went to court. Independent.ie has the story:
Coolio avoids jail after admitting gun charge
Rapper Coolio has avoided jail after he admitted carrying a concealed gun at Los Angeles International Airport.
The US musician was arrested after the handgun was discovered in his bag during security screening on September 17.
Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed firearm as a felon when he appeared at Los Angeles’ Airport Courthouse on Wednesday.
He was sentenced to 45 days community service and banned from owning or possessing guns during a three-year probation period.
He’s banned for life from firearms ownership because of his felony past.
Speaking outside the courtroom, Coolio said: “A mistake was made. It was a misunderstanding.
“I don’t condone the use of firearms, illegal or legal.
Not that it stopped him from illegally obtaining and carrying one.
“Thanks to the court and the attorneys for handling this for me.
“I was very worried.
“I don’t do crime. I’m not into anything illegal.”
“I don’t do crime.” Really? That doesn’t seem to be a lesson anyone can reasonably draw from his record.
Rest assured that had you or I tried the same thing, it’s a safe bet we’d have gotten significantly more than 45 days of community service and three years probation.
Whats a “FIMF”?
Oh, have you forgotten already, this is a new era in law? If you’re famous and/or rich, you can get away with anything, as long as you were just being careless.
Betcha I know the “MF” part!
It’s PIMP
Well, I hope it’s glass, then, because that’s a really poor “pimp”.
Yeah…we know.
It’s all gucci. He be Colloi, Dawg.
Collioe be strapped in a gangster’s paradise. It’s all gucci, Dawg.
Laws are for the little people.
That’s true, the rich can even get away with murder too. ON SIMPSON DID BACK IN 1994 OR 1995.
These catch and release incidents are also occurring in chickenshit California. Try if you’re white in that state.
I’m afraid that’s how things worked in the old era of law, too.
Fine A$$ MoFo.
“A mistake was made”. There’s speaking in the 3rd party voice to deflect guilt~~an extra ration of finest Peruvian Flake for his publicist for that one.
Similar to “I’m sorry if anyone was offended (by my deplorable actions)”.
NRA should jump all over this. Background checks don’t work, otherwise how did he get a gat? Oh yeah, the Gunshow loophole.
I’m officially a 2nd class citizen now since I’m positive my lack of street cred thuggism won’t get me off an accidental carry through the TSA. Remember, it’s almost No Shave November, so mention ISIL at the airport for your free prostate exam.
There is no “gun show loophole.” It’s crap invented by gun-grabbing democrats. I guess they’re just complaining about the freer states where people can pay cash for a gun in a parking lot and take it home without any stupid registrations. If you buy inside the show, though, all the gubbermint forms for you.
As of about 5 minutes ago, there are many states where you can buy from a “private individual” inside a “gunshow” and have precisely zero paperwork to do.
Just sayin’…
A loophole is typically an unintended consequence of the law. As the law in many States is clear that private individuals may sell their firearms without obligation to provide a background check it is not a loophole, and it does not matter where the transaction takes place.
So it cannot accurately be described as a loophole.
I’ve purchased several firearms inside the confines of a gunshow without paperwork. If the seller is dealing his/her private personal property of the seller/vendor separate from their “wares for sale”, they can be legally sold to a resident of the state where: the gunshow is located; the private owner/seller is a resident of that state, and the private purchaser is a resident of that state. Mostly they are the personal property of a retiring gun store owner or gunsmith, or the owner is “culling the herd”. To wit: 1958 P-38, 1969 High Standard R101.
Obviously the seller looks over my Driver’s License (and CCW permit) both of the state where we share residency and the show is within the borders of said state. Ive never had paperwork pass either direction beyond the greenbacks.
Stepping across the aisle to the “new wares”, of course I am subjected to, and rapidly pass the Federal restrictions and background checks, paying my money and taking home my new weapon.
Likewise I purchase/trade/sell through contacts found on Armslist (proven same State Residency, CCW, DL, Military ID) often with no Bill of Sale (as firearms aren’t titled property like taxed automobiles or real estate) if the seller or buyer like me does not view the over site of a Government agency to be within the legal requirements of same state, law abiding citizens to carry on trade privately.
Certainly the people with no understanding of either restrictions placed on enforcement of the Interstate Commerce Clause, various firearm (pistol/revolver) laws of transfer, gifting, etc. believe that nefarious goings on happen at Gunshows where Adorable Deplorable Militia wackos trade automatic weapons freely like some 3rd world arms bazaar…but there is definitely a Gun Show Loophole. More widely it should be considered a “Federal rectal exam of every person wishing to buy a killer tool and evil ammunition, especially if it has a box magazine, pistol grip, flash hider, etc.”
Unfortunately, GSL has become code word for Gun Confiscation/mag limits, evil black rifle bans, ammo restrictions, and the general feeling that American’s no longer need to be armed with the tools to vouchsafe their rights and freedoms.
Was James Comey his prosecutor? ‘Cause that would explain why Coolio walked.
And what’s with that fvcking hair?
The hair? It’s been all the cool, middle-aged, over the hill rappers are doing these days.
Get with the times Ralph, they are a changin’.
I have one word for UnCoolio — Rogaine.
I was thinking more along the lines of an antiparasitic – looks like mange to me.
Maybe a better stylist too?
It’s like an Ed Asner with dred locks thing, lol
It’s StarWars bar scene freak cosplay?
I.I”musician” snarc
The hair? It’s actually a pair of antennas for his bedazzled iPhone.
What irks me about this is not what he did. Personally, I believe that when one has paid their court-assigned debt to society ALL their rights should be restored. If they’re too dangerous to legally buy, own and carry a gun then they shouldn’t be on the streets.
What irks me about this is what the court did. Most other people in the same circumstances would have been crucified. He gets a pass because he’s famous. Fuck that.
“debt” is more progtard revisionism BS. Prison is punishment for antisocial actions. The purposed is to PUNISH and deter. Pass/Fail with no do overs. Violent felony acts loose your god given rights. Act like a civilized American or chose/accept the concequences. Monkeys aren’t civilize they have no Constitutional rights, uncivilized humans can choose to forfeit theirs.
This dimwit wants gun/human rights he can move to Liberia.
Actually it’s called corrections and not the department of punishment for a reason. It comes from the early Quaker settlers of America and has always been the basis for our incarceration system.
“Violent felony acts loose your god given rights.”
Why? Do you not believe that people can change their ways or learn from their mistakes?
I said that if someone is too dangerous to own/possess a gun then they should be locked away until such time as they are no longer too dangerous. I stand by that statement.
I agree with you. Violent felons should be locked up until they are no longer dangerous, like when they’re 90 or dead.
All our comments are good, clean, fun, but really…
Convicted felon, mere possession of a gun is 5 years in federal prison with no parole. Carrying in a freaking *AIRPORT*, for chrissake! So he’s prohibited from owning guns (or whatever) for 6 weeks while he is already prohibited *forever*.
The whole idea is to never enforce anything, causing “feelings” that we need to strengthen “common sense gun control” over and over, until we finally reach the point of prohibiting ownership, period, and THEN we dive into enforcement including shoot-to-kill orders.
We should work on gun control after we have finished stamping out drug abuse.
Drain The Swamp! Don’t let Hillary become our greatest wartime President! #DraftOurDaughters
There is no racism in america. You can be a low level wealthy black celebrity and get a slap on the wrist for the same crime that sends a normal average person to jail for many years.
Don’t forget the wife of Ted Nugent did the same thing a year ago. She is not in jail.
Correct, it’s not a race thing it’s a money thing. It’s illegal to be poor in America.
The same thing happened to Jerry Lewis in 2008 at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas.
The judge threw the book at him. Lewis was sentenced to 200 hours of watching Cinderfella.
Is Nugents wife a felon too?
That was my question as well. I’m not familiar with the Nugent case.
SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
-George Orwell
Funny how all that bad ass rappin yappin get righteous and mannerly real quick in a courtroom. Note courts have determine if your a felon, you can lawfully defend yourself with…wait for it…a gun.
The outward change in attitude represents a certain level of intelligence.
Trust me, I’ve seen people show up to court dressed like a gangbanger and talk shit straight to the judge’s face. Pretty impressive really, I mean you gotta be really stupid or really, really arrogant to do that.
Just like the PD, as long as the courts are making money from legislation, there will never be an impartial or “fair” justice system.
Hell, even if he’d been convicted and sentenced to hard time (like any deplorable would have), Obama would have just let him out.
Anyway, the rule of law finally totally died this year, in case you didn’t notice…it’s not what you did, it’s who you are and who you know now…ask Hillary, and OJ, etc.
It has been on life support for a while… I think Comey tripped over the cord.
My main takeaway from this news is that Coolio is still alive…
All bs aside does something like this set precedent? I dont know much about the law but why cant anyone else just say hey look at this case? I should be good to go in Cali now without my CCW. I dont mind community service.
Y’all sure are quick to get all righteously indignant when a rapper does something.
Joe Schlub from Abilene pulls this crap and all I hear around here is crickets or “He paid his debt!” Or “We should all be carrying on all flights!”
And of course it comes from whatever split-level on a quiet cul-de-sac Boch is tapping away from.
That’s because if Joe Schlub from Abilene pulled this crap, we know he’d be doing hard time….this wouldn’t even be a question.
Unless you have a real similar example (as in, an ex-felon carrying in an airport receiving no time), and I have a strong feeling there is none, your argument is entirely hypothetical. The indignation is not because he’s black, as you so crassly slander, nor is it because we agree with the premise & purpose of the laws he broke. We are irritated because his undeserved and illegitimate privilege as a wealthy, black, professional buffoon with fame in a liberal city completely escaped the consequences of laws that are to apply to us all, EQUALLY.
There is no equality of law here, ergo there can be no justice. No different than a poor black man being rail-roaded under Jim Crow.
Swarf- “And of course it comes from whatever split-level on a quiet cul-de-sac Boch is tapping away from.”
John Boch does not live in a suburb or anywhere near Chicago, he lives in Champaign County 150 miles south of Chicago. The middle of the state corn belt has mostly been his haunt since he graduated from the Univ. of Illinois at Champaign.
The advantage to John as liberal arts major of living in this area is that he can be a medium size fish in a small pond. His gets to talk down to people who are dumb enough to listen to his wisdom and guidance on political affairs, because most of them are below average I.Q. baby boomers with G.E.D. level education at best. His crew are the truck driver crowd, who spouted nonsense slogans like “one state, one law” during the passage of Illinois’ shit concealed carry bill in 2013.
John was one of the people who made loud noises about how they were not going to leave behind Otis McDonald and all the other poor black people during the negotiations over state Rep. Brandon Phelps carry bill, re. provisions like carrying on public transportation, which in Chicago means CTA buses and trains. When it came time to pass a bill, John and his buddy Richard Pearson at ISRA threw Otis and all the other blacks under the bus, and they haven’t made a peep about public transpo. carry in the past three years. It was all hot air.
You figured it out, and you don’t even know him. John and his counterpart Richard Pearson at the NRA state affiliate ISRA (Illinois State Rifle Association) use blacks for self promotion and running a race hustle, not to look out for their rights. They sold out their own membership, what do you expect?
LIBERAL DEMOCRAPiC ELITISTS (Entertainers)-get special treatment, or privileges because their “card carrying ,ehem, Party Members”…”Mouth pieces of the DNC…Down with whitey kind of thing…”
Didn’t Coach Ditka get trouble over a gat in his carry on years ago? I don’t recall he received anything more than a slap on the wrist, of course he wasn’t/isn’t a convicted felon.
Hm…I get what some of you are saying about being judgmental buuuut. Lol. Come on. You’re a space case if you don’t know what’s in your bag when traveling. If he’s being truthful, I think it’s just cementing how stupid celebrities are. Not all of course. Some celebrities have crazy high IQ. Just clearly not this guy.
I have zero sympathy. Considering any Joe blow in California would have been legally destroyed. As for the felonies, California (I’m not from their so I only know what I read about) is notorious for celebs petitioning to get their rights restored without an expungemant or motion to set aside. From what I’m familiar with, California is hard for Joe blows to restore their right. Celebrities seem to be so privileged…
He just showed his green privilege. This is a nation of lawlessness and so long as I am not doing bad stuff Ima carry, CCW/NO CCW, no matter. Until I have an accident then I’m going to claim the Coolio defense, if that doesn’t work I’m claiming a Hillary defense (not intentional) “I home carry and I just forgot it was in my pocket.”
Don t let you disarm from the communistic goverment >> fight any adult restriction on arms and knifes !!
At least. . .
. . .
it wasn’t Snoop Dog.
I would be somewhat sympathetic until… ”
Speaking outside the courtroom, Coolio said: “A mistake was made. It was a misunderstanding… I don’t condone the use of firearms, illegal or legal.”
What?!?
A criminal with an illegal gun doesn’t approve of honest citizens being armed. What’s confusing about that?
ummm…
“I don’t do crime.”
soooo…you don’t do time?
Two sets of laws is what it looks like. Does anybody know if these resolutions are often resolved with cash bribes?
I there used to be a lawyer in town who could get most anybody off a dui for $10k. 5 for the lawyer and 5 for the cops
Nobody is above the law unless you are rich & famous, well connected or Billary Clinton or a Clinton Foundation donor
He must be related to H. Clinton in some manner.
But really even former felons who have gone straight, for 3 to 5 years, should be allowed to own firearms.
Carrying guns and knives is a Constitutional Right that should not be violated by Congress, the FAA or TSA.
IF he or any other criminal really has gone straight they should be fully restored their rights.