Flesh N Bones pleads NOT Guilty

The lawyer for Stanley Howse, better known as the rapper Flesh-N-Bone of the platinum-selling rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, told a court Monday that the weapon found by sheriff's deputies in the rapper's Canyon Country home belonged to Howse's wife - a Chicago police officer.

Howse pleaded not guilty to felony weapons charges in a Santa Clarita Valley Superior Court on Monday. Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's deputies arrested Howse on Thursday after a traffic stop prompted law enforcement to search the parolee's Canyon Country home.

His status as a parolee subjects Howse to random searches at any time, Lt. Mike Dunkle said. Howse's wife, manager and friends filed into the courtroom Monday for the arraignment. Judge Graciela Freixes ordered Howse back to court April 16 for a preliminary hearing in Santa Clarita Superior Court, department three.

Freixes set bail at $135,000. Howse's attorney protested what he said was a high bail amount, considering the circumstances."The gun was found in a closet inside a locked suitcase," said Shepard Kopp, Howse's attorney. "The gun belongs to Mr. Howse's wife Isabel Flores, who is a Chicago Police Officer.

"Howse's wife is on leave from the Chicago Police Department, Kopp said. He said the firearm is registered and Howse told deputies at the time of the arrest that the gun belonged to Flores and she was a police officer. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Catherine Yeh said Howse's prior criminal record justifies the bail amount.

"Mr. Howse's record is significant and violent in nature," Yeh said. "He has a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer."Howse was paroled in July 2008 after serving 10 years in prison for the assault, Yeh said.Freixes kept the bail at $135,000.

After the courtroom drama concluded, Robert Francis, Howse's brand manager, issued a statement on behalf of the embattled entertainer.
"At this time all the facts have not been revealed publicly," Francis said.