(CNN) — One of the people accused of shooting Lady Gaga’s dog walker and stealing her animals in 2021 has been sentenced to 21 years in state prison, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Monday.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded no contest to an attempted murder charge and “admitted to the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and a prior assault” as part of an agreement, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Dog walker Ryan Fischer was walking Lady Gaga’s three French bulldogs on February 24, 2021 when he was accosted and shot. The attackers fled and stole two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
Jackson was one of three men driving through Los Angeles in February 2021 looking for bulldogs when they came across Fischer with Lady Gaga’s dogs, according to a criminal complaint.
Two of the men jumped out of the car and began choking and beating Fischer, who fought off the attackers, the complaint says. One of the men shot the dog walker, and the trio fled with Gaga’s two dogs.
Fischer was seriously injured but survived the attack, CNN reported. The missing dogs were returned after the star offered a $500,000 bounty for them.
“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for committing a ruthless violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Jackson was accidentally released from custody in April due to what officials called “a clerical error,” but was found in August and taken back into custody.
Jackson is one of five people charged in the attack, including two who were charged as accessories after the fact.
Harold White, one of those charged in connection with the attack, also did not contest a charge of an ex-convict in possession of a weapon, the district attorney’s office said. He will be sentenced next year.
CNN has reached out to attorneys for Jackson and White for comment.
Jaylin White, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this year after he pleaded no contest to a second-degree robbery charge and admitted to an allegation that a member of the group was armed during the incident.
— CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Stella Chan contributed to this report.
(CNN) — One of the people accused of shooting Lady Gaga’s dog walker and stealing her animals in 2021 has been sentenced to 21 years in state prison, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Monday.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded no contest to an attempted murder charge and “admitted to the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and a prior assault” as part of an agreement, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Dog walker Ryan Fischer was walking Lady Gaga’s three French bulldogs on February 24, 2021 when he was accosted and shot. The attackers fled and stole two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
Jackson was one of three men driving through Los Angeles in February 2021 looking for bulldogs when they came across Fischer with Lady Gaga’s dogs, according to a criminal complaint.
Two of the men jumped out of the car and began choking and beating Fischer, who fought off the attackers, the complaint says. One of the men shot the dog walker, and the trio fled with Gaga’s two dogs.
Fischer was seriously injured but survived the attack, CNN reported. The missing dogs were returned after the star offered a $500,000 bounty for them.
“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for committing a ruthless violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Jackson was accidentally released from custody in April due to what officials called “a clerical error,” but was found in August and taken back into custody.
Jackson is one of five people charged in the attack, including two who were charged as accessories after the fact.
Harold White, one of those charged in connection with the attack, also did not contest a charge of an ex-convict in possession of a weapon, the district attorney’s office said. He will be sentenced next year.
CNN has reached out to attorneys for Jackson and White for comment.
Jaylin White, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this year after he pleaded no contest to a second-degree robbery charge and admitted to an allegation that a member of the group was armed during the incident.
— CNN’s Cheri Mossburg and Stella Chan contributed to this report.
