Vanilla Ice has been spared jail time after accepting a fine and 100 hours community service following a break-in of a Florida property earlier this year.
The rapper, famed for his 1990 hit ‘Ice Ice Baby’, was arrested in February after a pool heater, furniture and bicycles were stolen from a property in Florida. The Lantana Police Department told journalists at the time that the arrest was made in relation to his reality TV show The Vanilla Ice Project. The rapper turned TV personality said the incident was a “misunderstanding.”
However, the 47 year old – real name Robert Van Winkle – accepted a plea deal that spared him charges of grand theft in court on Thursday. The grand theft charge carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 (£3,300) fine.
Instead, Van Winkle will perform 100 hours of community service and pay $1,333 (£893) to the owner of the property that was broken into.
“He’s pretty thrilled. He’s never really been in trouble like this before so obviously he was nervous,” The Guardian quotes defense lawyer Bradford Cohen as saying.
Van Winkle must acknowledge that he is guilty of the crime, but the charge will be dismissed and he will have no criminal record upon completing the community service.