Rapper and actor Coolio was charged today with possession of cocaine and battery after a run-in at Los Angeles International Airport.
The entertainer, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, 45, was arrested March 6 at LAX after authorities searched his luggage and allegedly found rock cocaine. Coolio allegedly grabbed a screener’s arm to prevent the search, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
He is charged with one felony count of possession of cocaine, one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of possession of a smoking device. He was released on bail after being taken to the Los Angeles Police Department's jail in Van Nuys. Coolio is scheduled to be arraigned April 3 at Los Angeles Superior Court. If convicted, he faces up to three years in state prison.