A St. Louis rapper, Antonio Harris, has pleaded guilty to charges related to drug and firearm offenses. On Tuesday, the 27-year-old admitted to possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Harris, who is known in the music industry as "LA4ss," was found with fentanyl and a firearm during his arrest.
The incident occurred on February 16, 2022, when officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle on North Broadway in the Baden neighborhood. Harris, driving a Toyota Corolla, failed to stop and led the officers on a chase. Despite the use of spike strips, Harris continued to evade police, eventually crashing into a retaining wall while attempting to turn onto Spring Garden Drive.
As part of his plea, Harris confessed to abandoning a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the car and fleeing on foot. He dropped a bag containing 394 capsules of fentanyl, along with additional fentanyl in plastic baggies, weighing a total of nearly 40 grams.
Harris is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his status as a convicted felon. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for the firearm charge related to drug trafficking and up to 10 years for the felon in possession charge. Sentencing is scheduled for August.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is overseeing the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program designed to curb violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The initiative focuses on fostering trust within communities, supporting violence prevention efforts, prioritizing enforcement, and measuring outcomes.