With his sophomore album set to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart this week, The Game finds himself in some legal hot water.

The Game

The West Coast rapper was arrested late last week for impersonating a police officer after taping an appearance on Late Show With David Letterman. The Game has shot back that the arrest was a setup and that he would never impersonate a police officer.

The 26-year-old rapper--real name Jayceon Taylor--is accused of jumping into a cab outside of the Ed Sullivan Theatre and telling the driver that he was an undercover police officer and ordering him to run a series of red lights. Police said that the rapper flashed a badge to the driver.

The cab was pulled over after about 13 blocks and Taylor and his two friends were arrested. He was issued a desk appearance ticket for impersonating a police officer and released later that night. The Game is to face the charge in court December 12.

The Game's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, has vehemently denied the accusation, telling the Associated Press that police had been tailing his client throughout his stay in New York and that the cabbie was a terrible driver.

"This is really a new low even for the NYPD," Lichtman said. "It's a big joke to harass him and other members of the hip-hop community, and ultimately arresting him. Let's see how funny they think it is during the cross-examinations of this trial."

"They say that he flashed a badge, yet, where's the badge?" Lichtman told E!. "They didn't find one and the poor guy has to sit in a holding cell while his Letterman appearance is playing on TV. The whole thing's a complete joke to harass the guy. His case is going to be 100 percent dismissed, or it's going to be very punishing trial for the DA's office."

In an unrelated case, one of the Game's business associates has been arrested for laundering money for gang members. John "Johnny Hooks" Abbey, 38, a partner in the Black Wall Street East recording studio started by the Game was charged with laundering more than $100,000 for the 9 Tre Gangsters, a faction of the Bloods street gang that police say deals drugs and guns throughout New Jersey.