Bruno Mars Cuts a Deal in Drug Case

"Grenade" singer will plead guilty to felony cocaine possession, avoid jail time

By Natalie Finn Jan 29, 2011 5:30 AMTags
Bruno MarsGABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Like Chris Brown, Bruno Mars would like to clean off his slate at least a little bit before the Grammys next month.

The seven-time nominee has cut a deal with Las Vegas prosecutors that will require him to plead guilty to felony cocaine possession in order to avoid jail time for his September bust at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Not that the "Grenade" singer escaped the fallout entirely...

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Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, must appear in court on Feb. 4 to waive an evidentiary hearing and enter his plea, after which, according to the Clark County District Attorney's Office, he'll be fined $2,000, sentenced to a year of informal probation, 200 hours of community service and drug counseling.

If he fulfills the terms of his sentence, his record will be wiped clean because he is a first-time offender and his offense was relatively minor.

Mars was arrested in the wee hours on Sept. 19 after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock spotted a bag of cocaine on him and alerted security. He was taken into custody without incident and his arrest report states that he told police he had never used drugs before.

He was facing up to four years behind bars if convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance, and the possibility of prison remains if he somehow runs afoul of the law over the next year.