Billy the Exterminator star William “Billy” Bretherton quietly reached a plea deal in April to settle his charges for possessing synthetic marijuana , according to a statement from his attorney Allyn Stroud earlier this week.
Bretherton pled guilty at a hearing in Bossier City, LA on Apr. 19, where he also agreed to undergo treatment for substance abuse. He received a 60-day suspended sentence, a $500 fine, and a year’s probation.
In return, the charges against his wife Mary were dropped.
The sorry saga began in April 2012, when someone made a 911 hangup call from a hotel room in Bossier City. When the Bossier City Police responded to the call, they found both Mary and William Bretherton there with what was described as a smoking device as well as the synthetic drug.
The police took the chemical in for testing. Synthetic marijuana, including products sold as incense and bath salts, were banned in the Louisiana state legislature in 2011 after several well-publicized deaths from the products.
Not long before the ban, a 21-year-old man actually used a knife to kill himself by cutting his own throat in front of his family.
Because of the plea deal, the Billy the Exterminator case will never be heard in open court. But the 911 hangup call does make me wonder.
Is it possible that Mary made the call, not knowing what to do to stop Billy from using the dangerous product?
In that case, the plea deal is undoubtedly the right deal — and it gives the reality TV star a chance to get back on track with his A&E hit show. Billy the Exterminator follows the leather and spike wearing Bretherton as he runs his Vexcon Animal and Pest Control business.
I don’t know how they do it in Bossier City, but my termite guy sure doesn’t have Billy’s sense of style.
Are you happy that the court gave Billy the Exterminator another chance?
[possum photo by Nesster via Wikipedia Commons]
