A few months back Big Ang‘s son Anthony (AJ) Donofrio was arrested with two other men and accused of dealing cocaine. Oops! According to prosecutors, AJ, 23, faced up to 25 years in prison and a mandatory-minimum sentence of of one to three years. Luckily for him his mom’s on TV the defense argued that AJ was only selling cocaine to feed his own addiction to the substance.
The night after the Big Ang star appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon flashing around her newest bling, AJ entered a no-jail plea in exchange for going to a rehab program. Since Ang was busy explaining how she’s reconnected with her estranged husband after he gave her a diamond ring, she didn’t make it to the hearing. Other relatives appeared instead. Actually it would appear AJ’s lawyer recommended she stay out of the courtroom given her past legal indiscretions!
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“The clinical staff determined that Mr. Donofrio does have a substance abuse problem,” Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ann Ferdinand said of her decision to accept the plea. “Clearly, he has an addiction.”
Unfortunately not everyone is happy with the outcome. “Treatment programs are better aimed at people with little support and low-level charges — not those with financial means who participated in a drug-selling operation,” assistant district attorney Jonathan Laskin said according to the NY Daily News. “These people should go to jail.”
AJ will serve 18-24 months in a court-ordered in-patient rehab facility. “If you successfully complete the drug treatment, you will not receive any jail sentence,” the judge announced. However, if he fails to complete the program it’s back to jail. So I guess that means he won’t be appearing on his mom’s reality show for a while. Bummer.
[Photo Credit: VH1 & WENN.com]
TELL US – DID AJ DESERVE JAIL?
