Leith Al-Saadi, courtesy of Petoskey News.

Best known as a finalist on Season 10 of NBC’sAnn Arbor-based musician Laith Al-Saadi (who was the subject of a Metro Times profile last summer) is now facing felony charges following an arrest earlier this month.

Gaylord Herald Times reported Al-Saadi was arrested at about 6:20 p.m. on Feb. 11, after troopers pulled him over for an expired license plate. It was then police discovered a backpack that contained marijuana as well as hydrocodone, morphine sulphate, and fentanyl.

According to the Otsego County Courts website, Al-Saadi faces three counts of narcotic possession equalling less than 25 grams, which could mean the 40-year old singer could serve up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.



Al-Saadi's lawyer, Michael Komorn, released a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 28 claiming Al-Saadi suffers from chronic pain and suggesting the drugs found on his person were used to treat legitimate ailments."He is currently under a physician's care for treatment of his debilitating severe and chronic pain," Komorn told the Petosky News site. "We appreciate the outpouring of concern from his fans and want to ensure the public that this is a medical issue that Laith is addressing with his physicians. We hope the public respects his privacy and family's privacy in this regard, any other issues we will address in court."Al-Saadi was the fourth runner-up on the musical competition reality show. His hearings are scheduled for mid-March.

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