Alexis Neiers (PICTURES): Reality Check for "Pretty Wild" Starlet Sentenced to Rehab
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) "Pretty Wild" starlet Alexis Neiers, who was convicted earlier this year for burglarizing actor Orlando Bloom's home, was served a dose of reality after a judge ordered her to spend a year in residential rehab.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza spoke sternly Thursday as he told Neiers it would be her final opportunity for treatment rather than serving time behind bars.
Prosecutors had been asking that Neiers be sent to prison for two years.
Espinoza cited Neiers' age, addiction, and limited criminal record as reasons why he chose rehab instead of incarceration for her, but warned that he would not be lenient if she did not take rehab seriously.
"If you come back to me for using heroin, you are going back to prison," Espinoza said.
Neiers, an aspiring model who was featured on the E! reality TV show, was arrested Dec. 1 after officers went to her home for a compliance check and found black tar heroin and a fake driver's license. According to TMZ, Neiers had violated her probation by missing a probation meeting in November, which prompted the visit from law enforcement.
The 19-year-old spent 30 days of a six-month sentence in jail this year after pleading no contest to burglarizing Bloom's house as part of the "Bling Ring" crew accused of breaking into several celebrities' homes.
Neiers' attorney, Tariq Khero, said his client has a debilitating heroin addiction and agreed with the judge's ruling."This is a girl in desperate need of help, and I hope she can find it in a treatment program," Khero said.
