CORRECTED: Rocker David Crosby Fined $5,000 Over Gun Charge

07/02/2004 5:53 PM, Reuters


(in second paragraph, prosecution corrects its previous information)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rock musician David Crosby was fined $5,000 on Friday after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon following his arrest in New York in March when a gun, knife and marijuana were found in his luggage.

In exchange for his plea in which one count of unlawful possession of marijuana was dismissed, Crosby, 62, was given a conditional discharge as long as he pays the fine and does not get rearrested.

Crosby, a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, will be formally sentenced on Sept. 15 in New York State Supreme Court.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Dahl told State Supreme Court Judge Michael Ambrecht that prosecutors were recommending the sentence "based on the unique circumstances" surrounding Crosby's gun charge.

Although illegal in New York, the gun was obtained legally in California.

"I have in my possession a certified letter from the State of California showing that defendant legally purchased and registered the firearm in question in California.

"Secondly ... the firearm was found not on his person or in public but instead ... found secured in a bag inside Crosby's Times Square hotel room," Dahl said.

Crosby was arrested on March 6 at 1 a.m. after a maid found a loaded .45-caliber handgun, a knife and a small amount of marijuana that he left behind after checking out of the hotel.

After police were called, Crosby, who was performing that night with his band CPR, at a Wayne New Jersey college, discovered he was missing a piece of his luggage. He telephoned the hotel to say he would return to pick it up and was met by New York police who arrested him.