Embattled rapper DMX faces at least 90 days in jail after pleading
guilty on Tuesday to drug, theft and animal cruelty charges,
Arizona prosecutors said.
The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded to three
felony charges and one misdemeanor count in Maricopa County
Superior Court under a deal to settle three criminal cases against
him. He also agreed not to own any animals or posses
firearms.
Simmons, 38, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30. He remains in
custody.
"I am pleased that this defendant will be held accountable for both
his drug and animal cruelty offenses," said County Attorney Andrew
Thomas in a statement. Simmons attorney Charles Kozelka could not
immediately be reached for comment.
The rapper-turned-actor has been battling legal woes during the
past year in Arizona, where he maintains a home near Phoenix.
In May, he was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after
sheriff's deputies raided his home. Authorities found dog carcasses
and malnourished pit bulls at the residence.
He also was charged with assuming someone's identity and providing
false information during a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale,
Ariz., in an alleged attempt to avoid paying the bill.
Simmons has missed several court appearances, causing a county
court commissioner to issue bench warrants for his arrest. The
latest warrant came earlier this month.
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