Subscribe
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE

The real Rick Ross has just given William Leonard Roberts II a new album angle. The 55-year-old former cocaine kingpin born Ricky Donnell Ross but best known by his alias “Freeway” was pinched earlier this week in California’s Sonoma County on suspicion of possessing money related to the sale of a controlled substance.

If this is true, it’s also accurate to say old habits die hard, no?

Reports Los Angeles Times:

A law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times that Ross was carrying more than $100,000.

Ross, who authorities say was a major player in the crack trade in South Los Angeles in the 1990s, was also arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit a crime, according to a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office arrest log. He is no longer in custody, according to Sonoma County sheriff’s jail records.

Ross’ management team did not immediately return requests for a comment.

Lt. Darin Dougherty, a spokesman with the sheriff’s office, confirmed Ross was arrested, but said details about his arrest were not immediately available due to an ongoing investigation.

Ross was convicted in 1996 of conspiring to buy more than 100 kilograms of cocaine from a police informant and, based on two prior drug convictions in Texas and Ohio, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But his sentence was reduced in 2005 from 20 to 16 1/2 years. He was released in 2009.

In 2013, Ross also lost his long fight to prevent the Maybach Music Group boss from using his real name for his stage name.

Photo: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com