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Bruno Mars Arrested for Cocaine Possession in Las Vegas

By Laura Strachan, Esq. on September 22, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Celebrities and cocaine, is anyone else noticing a trend here? The latest star to grab headlines for possession of the white powder is singer Bruno Mars. The chart topper (real name: Peter Hernandez) was arrested for cocaine possession after a bathroom attendant at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas caught him with the drug.

According to TMZ, the celebrity news outlet that always seems to sniff out the dirty details, a bathroom attendant notified hotel security when he saw a man with a white baggy in the stall. When police later asked Bruno Mars to hand over any drugs he may have, "This is when Hernandez, with his left hand, pulled out a while powder substance, which was consistent with cocaine, from his left-front jeans pocket." Bruno Mars was arrested after police confirmed the substances to, in fact, be cocaine.

TMZ also quotes Mars' statement to the police, "he admitted he did a foolish thing and has never used drugs before." Foolish things can have serious consequences. The 2.3 grams of cocaine found on the singer resulted in felony possession of a controlled substance booking, although he has not been formally charged.

Felony cocaine possession for a guy that has never used drugs before? Yes. Sure it helps to have a clean record, but in drug possession cases such as this, the nature of the charge hinges on the amount, not the use count. Although states vary, increasing a charge from a misdemeanor to a felony is often a numbers game. Unfortunately for Mars, his charge seems faily certain, and a Paris Hilton defense in this case (although it would certainly be amusing) would likely be defeated by the fact that he admitted to use and possession of the cocaine to the police. Sometimes what happens in Vegas, doesn't always stay there. Bruno Mars will be arrainged on November 18.

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