LAS VEGAS (AP) - Bruno Mars, singer of the hit R&B song ''Just the Way You Are,'' faces a felony cocaine charge stemming from his arrest after a performance at a Las Vegas nightclub last month.
The Clark County district attorney's office filed a criminal complaint Friday alleging the rising singer-songwriter had 2.6 grams of cocaine when he was arrested Sept. 19 after being detained by a hotel security guard.
Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, is due in court Nov. 18 on the possession of a controlled substance charge. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Article Photos
BRUNO MARS
Arrested in Las Vegas
''Just the Way You Are'' is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
A former Hawaii child entertainer and a graduate of Roosevelt High School, he moved from Honolulu to Los Angeles in 2002 to pursue his singing career.
Hernandez, 24, was in Las Vegas for a performance at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's Wasted Space nightclub.
His label, Elektra Records, released a brief statement Friday: ''We congratulate Bruno Mars on his chart-topping success, and provide him with our full love and support.''
Hernandez's debut album, ''Doo-Wops & Hooligans,'' is scheduled for release Tuesday.
