Media outlets have reported that Chicago rapper Keith Cozart, who is better known by his stage name Chief Keef, was taken into custody on drug possession charges on June 12. Reports indicate that Cozart was apprehended at about 8:30 a.m. at Sioux Falls Regional Airport in South Dakota after Transportation Security Administration agents discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his carry-on luggage. The hip-hop star was transported to the Minnehaha County Jail after being booked, but he was subsequently released after posting a $2,000 bond.
TSA agents say that they found two marijuana edibles and three hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana known as blunts in Cozart’s bag. The rapper has been charged with a felony for the THC edibles and two misdemeanor counts for the marijuana. He entered not guilty pleas to all of the charges against him during his arraignment hearing. Cozart had traveled to South Dakota to perform in an anti-bullying concert, but his fans were not left disappointed as the 21-year-old was able to take to the stage after being released from custody.
The drug charges do not mark the first time that Cozart has been in trouble with the law. The rapper was accused of assaulting and robbing his former music producer in January, and police in Miami charged the hip-hop star with driving drunk in April. Cozart burst onto the music scene in 2012 and has collaborated with rap legends including 50 Cent and Kanye West.
Most drug cases hinge on evidence acquired pursuant to a search, and experienced criminal defense attorneys may study search warrants and their supporting documentation carefully to ensure that rights guaranteed to their clients by the Fourth Amendment have not been violated. Attorneys could also urge their clients to avoid carrying items that could lead to criminal charges in places like airports where warrantless searches are permitted.
Source: The New York Daily News, “Rapper Chief Keef released from South Dakota jail after marijuana charge”, Associated Press report, June 14, 2017
