LOS ANGELES -- Entertainer Dean Martin was charged with carrying a loaded pistol, which was discovered when he was stopped on suspicion of drunken driving.

The district attorney's office Wednesday charged Martin, 65, with two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded .38-caliber handgun in his car.


He will be arraigned June 18.

The gun was registered to the entertainer but Martin does not have a permit to carry the weapon, spokesman Al Albergate said.

The gun was discovered May 8 when Martin was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, Albergate said.

Tests detected no alcohol in the entertainer's blood, but did reveal a small trace of a prescription drug taken for a dental condition.

'The amount of the drug was so small that it can't be established that it impaired his driving,' Albergate said.

Martin, who is free on his own recognizance, could face a maximum $500 fine and six months in jail if convicted.