5 Celebrities Who Are In Prison Right Now

Celebrities who run afoul of the law get away with misdemeanors because they can afford good (read: expensive) lawyers and maybe the judge might just be a little bit more lenient with them than with ordinary fellows. But stars convicted of serious crimes have ensured that they stay in prison for many years to come.

Here are five celebrities who were found guilty, sentenced and are in prison right now:

Phil Spector

His name may not be recognizable to many, especially the young people of today. That’s because his best works were in the 1960s – 70s, and as a songwriter and record producer, he worked behind the scenes. He is known for his numerous hit songs and best-selling albums, collaborating with the likes of John Lennon, George Harrison and Tina Turner.

In February 2003, he became famous again, but not in a good way. He was suspected of killing the actress Lana Clarkson with a gunshot to the mouth in his mansion in Alhambra, California. In 2009, he was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. The Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member will be 88 by the time he is eligible for parole.

O.J. Simpson

In 2004, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death in her condominium in Los Angeles. O.J. was charged with the murder of both, following a nationally televised car chase through LA’s freeway and a widely publicized trial. To the dismay and astonishment of many, he was acquitted in 2005. His acquittal is attributed to his team of lawyers, a “dream team” in the industry. A shrewd and experienced criminal defense attorney knows that a thorough investigation and analysis of the events can win a case.

In 2007, the once popular football player robbed memorabilia dealers at gunpoint at the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas. He and a companion were charged and found guilty of robbery, kidnapping, assault and others. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison with the possibility of parole after nine years. He is now imprisoned at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.

Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Hernandez was a multi-awarded college football player before he was drafted into the NFL in 2010, playing tight end for the New England Patriots. He is now locked up in a maximum security prisonin Lancaster, Massachusetts for the murder of Odin Lloyd, the boyfriend of his fiancée’s sister, in 2013. In 2015, he was convicted of first degree murder, a charge that carries with it a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He is also indicted with a double homicide that occurred in Florida in 2012.

Jared Fogle

Jared Fogle was the chain sandwich store’s popular spokesman for the Subway submarine sandwich diet from 2000 to 2015. He was discovered in 2000 after losing more than 200 pound son a Subway diet. Subsequently, the company made him their mouthpiece and sales soared thereafter

Then in July 2015, the FBI raided Fogle’s residence following a tip and found child pornography material. A 2008 complaint of the same nature from a female franchisee to the company was ignored. Fogle was found guilty of child pornography and sex crimes and sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in a federal prison. He is currently in a facility in Englewood, Colorado serving his time.

Rae Carruth

Another NFL player, a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, Carruth is currently serving an 18 to 24-year prison sentence for the drive-by shooting of his pregnant girlfriend who died a month later. The woman had declined to undergo an abortion, which angered Carruth. He then planned for her murder but had an associate do the actual shooting.

The charge of conspiracy to commit murder does not have a death penalty and the ex-football player is expected to be released in 2018.