Sly Stone Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge

Nov 16, 2011, 09:01 by R.E. Christian

Musician Sly Stone pleaded no contest in a Los Angeles court Tuesday to possession of cocaine, officials said.

Stone, 68, was arrested April 1 after he allegedly was caught by police carrying freebase cocaine.

As part of his plea deal, Stone must complete 90 days of in-patient rehab, TMZ said, adding the funk icon has already completed 30 days of treatment.

If Stone meets the requirements of the deal, the judge will dismiss the case and he will not be placed on probation, the celebrity news Web site said.

"We are very pleased with the outcome of this case," Stone's lawyers James E. Silverstein and Peter Knecht said in a joint statement issued to TMZ.

Stone said in September he has been living out of a van in Los Angeles. The front man for Sly and the Family Stone in the 1960s and '70s has in recent years been known more for his substance abuse and legal woes than for his music.

He filed a lawsuit last year claiming his former manager stiffed him out of royalty payments for more than 20 years, leaving him penniless and residing in his vehicle.

Source: UPI