One of Lady Gaga’s dog kidnappers sentenced to 21 years in prison
A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for assaulting an employee of Lady Gaga while walking the singer’s three dogs.
Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for returning her French bulldogs.
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A man who violently assaulted an employee of American singer Lady Gaga to steal the star’s dogs was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Monday in Los Angeles.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, admitting to being part of the group that shot Ryan Fischer as he walked the ‘Poker Face’ singer’s three French bulldogs in Hollywood in February 2021.
“A plea agreement holds James Howard Jackson accountable for committing a violent and ruthless act and brings justice to our victims,” said a statement from the district attorney’s office. CCTV footage showed two men getting out of a car near the singer’s employee, before shooting him in the chest.
$500,000
The individuals then seized two of the fleeing dogs, Koji and Gustav, leaving Ryan Fischer on the ground, bleeding. The third dog, Miss Asia, had escaped but then returned to snuggle next to her walker. Ryan Fischer later revealed on Instagram that he suffered lung damage.
Lady Gaga, known for her hits “Just Dance” or “Bad Romance”, had offered a reward of $ 500,000 for the return of her precious French bulldogs. A woman had brought them back, saying she found them tied to a post, before she was arrested in turn.
According to police, she was in a relationship with the father of one of the attackers and had been responsible for collecting the reward on their behalf. James Howard Jackson was released on April 6 following an administrative error and then arrested again four months later.
This sentence follows that of his accomplices, Jaylin Keyshawn White, 20, who was sentenced to four years in prison and Lafayette Shon Whaley, 28, who was sentenced to six years in prison. The case illustrated the popularity of these starred… and criminal dogs, for whom their small size and high price tag make them prime targets for resale on the black market.
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