Long before he was a reality star on Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, Stevie J was a high-powered record producer working with people like the Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy. However, he didn’t allocate his money all that well, and was arrested in 2014 for unpaid child support. Facing a prison term for his $1.3 million in unpaid child support, Stevie J got lucky by avoiding a prison sentence; the judge for his case has let him off with only three years probation and a $2,500 fine.
Stevie J, real name Steven Jordan, owes the money to his ex-wife Carol Bennett. The record producer had been ducking child support payments for $6,608 to $8,557 a month from 2001 through 2014, which quickly added up. He plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of failure to pay child support. During the sentencing Jordan told the judge, "I'm a provider, a great father and a stand up guy for my children, and they can attest to that."
The prosecutors tried to push the judge to give Stevie J jail time. They had a good case too; Stevie J skipped eight mandatory drug tests as part of his bail agreement, and twice tested positive for cocaine when he did show up.
To force the reality star to pay his child support, the courts will garnish 25 percent of his monthly pay until the $1.3 million is paid off. It might take a while, but Stevie J is probably just happy he’s not headed to Rikers Island.
[via Bossip]