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Village People Cop Answers Drug Charges

He played the part of the cop in the original lineup of The Village People, but now Victor Willis finds himself squarely on the other side of the law. The 54-year-old singer appeared in a Bay Area courtroom this week to plead no contest to charges of drug possession. In March, Willis was arrested after police discovered cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his car; he was already the subject of a bench warrant due to his failure to answer earlier drug charges.

A judge will determine his fate on September 1, deciding whether Willis should be imprisoned or sent to a rehabilitation center. Willis has been in custody since his arrest.

"He's knocking on the door of double-digits for state prison," defense attorney Mark Geragos said. "He's got to take it one step at a time…get a handle on this. We're hopeful that the judge will opt for the treatment program."

Prosecutors are agreeable, but only if Willis commits to a serious, hard-knocks program like San Francisco's Delancey Street. "If he were willing to go to Delancey, that would tell me right up front he's serious about getting his addiction licked," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. "I think [Delancey] is tougher than prison."

Willis left The Village People in 1980, but by that time had already contributed to the group's most enduring tracks: "YMCA," "In the Navy" and "Macho Man."

"I look forward to enjoying the second half of my life, drug free," he recently posted on his website, adding that he hopes to have a comeback tour in summer 2007.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
07.21.06

Tags: Village People