As part of the plea deal that he reaches in last year's fan-tossing case, Akon is ordered to serve 65 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.
- Dec 18, 2008
AceShowbiz - Hip-hop artist Akon appeared in court in Fishkill, New York on Wednesday morning, December 17, pleading guilty to second-degree harassment charge, a violation, stemmed from a fan-tossing incident happened on June 3, 2007. In lieu of jail time, he, as stated in the plea bargain, was ordered to perform 65 hours of community service that must be completed before June next year. Besides, he was ordered to pay a $250 fine.
Having his child-endangerment charge dropped by prosecutors as part of the deal, Akon will have to avoid arrest within the next 12 months, otherwise he will have to reappear in the Fishkill court. After the court hearing, he was seen shaking hands with Anthony Smith, the now 16-year-old fan whom he threw off the stage, and apologizing to him and his parents.
Akon declined to comment as he made his way out of the court. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Andrea Zellan, issued a written statement saying, "We are pleased that the case has been resolved and Akon looks forward to putting this unfortunate incident behind him."
Akon was originally charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a minor and a violation of second-degree harassment as a result of his famous fan-tossing incident. He initially pleaded guilty to both charges in early December last year.
