October 21, 2008 22:53

Lil' Wayne's assistant says he saw gun, drugs on tour bus

Terry Bourgeois testifies in court

Lil Wayne’s assistant has told a court that he occasionally saw a handgun on the rapper’s tour bus, and also testified that he saw people smoke marijuana on the bus.

Terry Bourgeois appeared in a Manhattan court yesterday (October 20) for his testimony in the case, and said that despite seeing a .40-caliber pistol, that he did not see Lil’ Wayne holding the gun. He also said that he did not know if there was a gun present when Wayne was arrested in July 2007 after the bus was searched.

Police searched the bus after a concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre, after they smelled cannabis coming from the bus. A police officer on the scene said she saw Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., trying to hide the gun as the bus was searched.

The rapper has pleaded not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted he could spend over three years in prison.

The firearm found on the bus was registered to Wayne’s tour manager Cortex Bryant.

Wayne’s attorney Stacey Richman says police falsely claim there was a smell of marijuana coming from the bus, and used it as an excuse to illegally come on board and search the vehicle.

Meanwhile, in a separate testimony, security guard Derrick Parker says he did not see or smell smoke coming from the bus that night.

--By our New York staff.
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