Jesse Helt, the 22-year-old homeless man whom Miley Cyrus designated to claim her Video of the Year award at the 2014 Video Music Awards, has been sentenced to six months in jail for violating a drug-related probation.
During the awards show in August, Helt delivered a speech about youth homelessness in Hollywood. He claimed he had “survived in shelters all over. I’ve cleaned your hotel rooms. I’ve been an extra in your movies. I’ve been an extra in your life.”
His mother told MailOnline that his appearance with Cyrus would change his life, and she was right. Not long after the publicity stunt, the world learned that an Oregon judge had issued a warrant for Helt’s arrest in 2011.
The aspiring model was reportedly arrested in October of 2010 for breaking and entering because a man sold him “bad marijuana.” He was charged with burglary, criminal mischief in the third degree, and criminal trespass in the first degree. His appearance at the award show put him on the map for law enforcement.
During his court appearance on Tuesday, Helt showed up wearing black leather converse sneakers with a black suit and asked the judge for leniency. He said he would “like to be viewed as a good person, not as a nuisance to society.”
His attorney, Whitney Boise, also pled with the judge, citing his “hard life” as an aspiring model in Los Angeles and advocacy towards the homeless community. The unimpressed judge revoked his probation and gave him a six-month jail sentence.
Helt did not receive special treatment, according to District Attorney Aaron Felton.