Justin Bieber's Pal Lil Za Sentenced to Probation
Justin Bieber's "bro" Lil Za is rapping a sad song today.
The aspiring hip-hop artist was sentenced to three years of felony probation and 20 days of community labor on Wednesday in L.A. He was also ordered to enter a drug program and pay a $1,000 fine and $600 in restitution.
The 20-year-old — legally named Xavier Domonique Smith — pleaded no contest to one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, ecstasy, and one misdemeanor count of damaging a prison or jail. (The sentencing could have been much worse, since Lil Za was originally charged with three felonies for possession of ecstasy and Oxycodone as well as a felony count of damaging a jail.)
[Related: 5 Things to Know About Justin Bieber Bestie Lil Za]
The charges followed a January 14 raid by law enforcement on Bieber's Calabasas, California, home. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrived about 8 a.m. looking for evidence that Bieber was responsible for egging the home of a neighbor. However, they left with Lil Za in handcuffs after discovering a suspicious substance, originally thought to be cocaine, on him. He racked up the damage charge once he was at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's station and attempted to pull a phone off the wall.
New court documents from the case show that the Dallas native told arresting officers that he "has a current case pending in the state of Texas for sales of a controlled substance." During an interview following his arrest, Lil Za described himself as Bieber's personal assistant. He also claimed that he doesn't use what he referred to as "pure MDMA," "moon rock," and "purple moon rocks," but keeps it on hand to give to girls. They "love it," he said, according to the docs.
[Related: From Ali to Za: A Definitive Guide to Justin Bieber’s Inner Circle]
Despite that gem of a quote, Bieber's BFF complained in January about the media's assertion that he was to blame for the pop star' increasingly bad behavior. "Honestly, the media is making me someone I'm not," he tweeted. "But only those in my shoes can relate. These people get paid to make you look bad."
As if he needed any help…
