Ex-Queens of the Stone Age Bassist Nick Oliveri Pleads Not Guilty in Police Standoff
Former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has entered a plea of not guilty to the five charges stemming from his five hour standoff with police last summer.
During his stint as bassist for Queens of the Stone Age, Nick Oliveri provided a spark of unpredictability on both their records and live performances. Apparently, that unpredictability landed him in a world of trouble in the summer of 2011.
The drama began last July when a reported altercation between Oliveri and his girlfriend led to a standoff between the bassist and an LAPD S.W.A.T. team at his duplex. Five hours later, the standoff ended peacefully, with Oliveri facing several felony charges after a search of his place allegedly turned up cocaine, methamphetamines and a fully loaded rifle.
TMZ reports that yesterday (March 8), Oliveri entered a not guilty plea to the two counts of possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count of resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer he is currently facing. Oliveri’s pre-trial is set for April 13, and if found guilty on all charges, he could find himself in prison for up to 15 years.
Oliveri was in-between tour dates for the reunion tour for pre-QOTSA band Kyuss at the time of the incident, the band was forced to replace him with Scott Reeder, another former member of the stoner metal outfit, for their overseas dates because Oliveri’s charges prevented him from leaving the country. Last year Kyuss — now going by the name Kyuss Lives! — announced plans to record a new album with hopes of a summer 2012 release date.