Flavor Flav Arrested in New York; Released to Attend Mom's Funeral

1/9/2014 by Billboard Staff

New York State Police

Valley Stream troopers stopped a black Hyundai for speeding(79 mph in a 55 zone), on the southbound side of the Meadowbrook State Parkway near the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead. A license check of the driver, William Drayton, age 54, of Las Vegas NV, revealed that he was operating with 16 suspensions on his license. He was also found to possess a small amount of marihuana. Mr. Drayton is known as the rapper Flavor Flav.

New York State troopers arrested Public Enemy's Flavor Flav on Long Island Thursday morning for driving with a suspended license, but released the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member so he could attend his mother's funeral.

According to a statement from the New York State Police, Flav (born William Drayton) was stopped for driving 24 miles over the speed limit on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in Hempstead at around 9:30 a.m. A routine check revealed Flav had 16 suspensions on his license; police also found a "small amount" of marijuana.

The legendary hype man was arrested for Felony Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and traffic violations and released. He'll have to appear at Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead at a later date.

Born in nearby Roosevelt, the native Long Islander now lives in Las Vegas. Police say he needed to attend a funeral for his mother, Anna Drayton, who passed away on Dec. 31. "I'm gonna miss her," he wrote on Twitter. "She lived a good life."

The 54-year-old rapper and former reality TV star has had multiple run-ins with the law over the years, with several related to his driving record. In 2002 he spent nine weeks in jail for driving on a suspended license and for unpaid parking tickets. He was arrested again in 2011 on misdemeanor warrants for various offenses.