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Last October DJ Paul of the Memphis rap group Three Six Mafia was arrested in New York City for a misdemeanor weapons charge. The Academy Award winner was initially stopped by police for carrying an open Corona beer in public. He then admitted that he was also carrying a concealed taser.
TMZ is now reporting that after first pleading “not guilty” to the possession and public drinking charges, Paul struck a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to a lesser disorderly conduct charge.
Paul has been sentenced to 21 hours of community service and has to pay a $125 surcharge. Paul will serve his sentence in his current hometown of Las Vegas at a local soup kitchen.
“They’re all going to be eating a lot of barbecue and garlic butter,” said Paul’s defense attorney Seema Iyer (referring to the rapper/producer’s line of barbecue sauces) according to the New York Post.
“DJ Paul BBQ” was started in 2012 and includes both a barbecue rub and sauce available for purchase online.
Back at the time of the arrest Paul explained that he didn’t know that he wasn’t able to carry a taser gun in New York.
“I honestly didn’t know it was illegal. I thought it was at the same level as pepper spray,” Paul told TMZ. “My bodyguard wasn’t around last night, and I was by myself in NYC and anything can happen in the late hours down there.”
DJ Paul released his third solo studio album, A Person of Interest, just days after the arrest.
He has also released numerous projects as part of the legendary rap group Three Six Mafia. Paul and fellow 3-6 member Juicy J won an Oscar for Best Original Song for writing the single “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp” from the film Hustle and Flow.
