One of three men accused of violently assaulting a Lady Gaga employee to remove the dogs from the star was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Jaylin Keyshawn White, 20, has pleaded guilty to theft, admitting to being part of the group that shot Ryan Fischer while he was walking the three French bulldogs in Hollywood in February 2021.
CCTV footage would show two men get out of a car near the singer’s employee, before shooting him in the chest.
The individuals then seized two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav, fleeing, leaving Ryan Fischer on the ground, bleeding.
The third dog, Miss Asia, had run away, but then returned to snuggle up next to her walker.
Lady Gaga, known for her hits “Poker Face” or “Bad Romance”, had offered a reward of 500,000 dollars for the return of her precious French bulldogs.
A woman had brought them back, saying she had found them tied to a post, before being arrested in turn. According to the police, she had a relationship with the father of one of the attackers and had been responsible for collecting the reward on their behalf.
The three suspects were eventually charged with attempted murder and robbery in April 2021.
One of them, author of the shot, was released by mistake in April, following an administrative error.
Authorities have since been actively looking for James Howard Jackson, and have offered up to $5,000 in rewards for any information leading to his capture.
The case had illustrated the popularity of these dogs with stars… and criminals, for whom their small size and high price made them prime targets for resale on the black market.
Lady Gaga is particularly attached to her dogs, who frequently accompany her to public events and of which she publishes photos on social networks.