Pablo Montero pleaded not guilty Friday to one count of possession of cocaine, his lawyer said.
The 38-year-old Mexican singer-actor, whose real name is Oscar Hernandez, was working outside the country and couldn’t attend the arraignment, his lawyer, Mark Shapiro, said.
Prosecutors offered to drop charges if Montero attends a drug court program, Shapiro said. “We are investigating the evidence in the case,” he said.
Officers found a small clear bag in the car that contained cocaine, police said. Montero allegedly told officers the bag belonged to him and not to a passenger driving with him, the police report said.
The arrest came two days after Montero helped present nominees for this year’s Latin Grammy Awards at a Miami press conference. He was nominated in the category of regional Mexican song.