Keith Cozart, whose rap name is Chief Keef, was arrested on April 8 after he was allegedly caught drinking “sizzurp,” a mixture of prescription cough syrup containing codeine and soda, while driving a vehicle by Miami Beach police officers.
Cozart, 21, faces a DUI charge after he failed to pass a field sobriety test. It is unclear if he has entered a plea or acquired the services of an attorney.
According to the arrest report, Cozart was reportedly driving a two-door McLaren in Miami Beach with a passenger identified as Cortez McElrath. Police officers reportedly saw McElrath jump out of Cozart’s vehicle when he stopped at a red light to give the front-seat passenger of a Nissan Altima that was behind the McLaren a bag the officers said contained a “green leafy substance.”
When he noticed the police, McElrath allegedly tried to run back to the McLaren, but was stopped by an officer wielding a Taser and was placed in handcuffs. Another officer approached the McLaren and detained Cozart because he was allegedly “moving his hands around in the vehicle.” Cozart reportedly had a cup filled with sizzurp, which is also known as “purple drank” or “lean,” and his eyes appeared to be “bloodshot, watery, [and] droopy,” an officer wrote in the arrest report.
More officers were called to the scene to detain the three people in the other vehicle, who were identified as Eddie Bryant, Devante Reaves, and Jamil Perkins. A search of the vehicle yielded a bag of marijuana and 13 fraudulent credit cards.
Bryant, the passenger who reportedly received the bag of the “green leafy substance,” and McElrath were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. Reaves, another passenger, had an outstanding warrant and was also charged with possession of marijuana. He was searched and found with nine fake credit cards, the police report said. Perkins, who was the driver, was arrested for driving with a suspended license. Police report said he had four fake credit cards.
One of the officers reported that Cozart said it was okay if they found “weed in [his] urine” because he could call his “attorney to get [his] marijuana card.” Cozart also allegedly told the officer that he would find “weed in [him].”
Penalties for DUI charges in the state of Florida are very strict because of the number of fatalities that have been caused by drunk drivers. As a minimum requirement, a defendant convicted of DUI charges may receive a combined sentence that includes license suspension, classes on drunk driving, vehicle impoundment, court costs, fines, community service, and payment of restitution to injured parties. Jail time depends on the type of DUI case. First time offenders, for example, usually only receive community service and other conditions like license suspension, etc. but no jail time.