Lady Gaga’s Dognapper Sentenced To Four Years Behind Bars

Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s dog walker, was shot on February 24 while walking three of the singer’s dogs. Fischer survived, and subsequently disclosed that his lung collapsed many times and that he was dealing with trauma from the incident. Gaga’s dognapper was recently sentenced to four years in a surprise plea.

According to Rolling Stone, in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, Lala Gaga’s former dog walker went up against one of his assailants. He recalled the attack that almost killed him as Jaylin White, the defendant, accepted a surprise plea deal and was given a four-year state prison sentence. “You left me bleeding out and gasping for my life,” Ryan Fischer said in his emotional address. “I did almost die that night.”

Fischer described the severe nerve damage brought on by the bullet that ripped through his upper right torso. He also explained how doctors had to remove a portion of his lung because it kept collapsing. He said that he still suffers from respiratory and mobility problems.

“But it’s the mental and emotional trauma you caused that night that’s been much worse.”

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Fischer sobbed as he said that since White and two other assailants, James Jackson and Lafayette Whaley, attacked him on a Los Angeles street early last year and stole Lady Gaga’s beloved French bulldogs Gustav and Koji, he has been unable to continue his once-thriving animal care business. At his surprise conviction Wednesday, White pleaded “no contest” to second-degree robbery under a deal in which prosecutors dropped two other charges alleging attempted murder and conspiracy.

Judge Richard Kemalyan accepted the terms of the deal and sentenced White on the spot, giving him three years in prison for the robbery conviction and an extra year for a gun enhancement since another defendant was armed. “You didn’t just steal dogs from me that night, you stole my livelihood,” Fischer told White. Now when Fischer tries to care for dogs, he questions “every move” he makes, “worried something is going to happen to them,” he said.

“I’ve lost all my money. I’m in severe credit card debt, and I’ve become dependent on the kindness and donations of strangers, friends, and family just to survive.”

Fischer also mentioned that his mother wanted to attend court on Wednesday but couldn’t afford a plane ticket. Without naming anyone, Fischer said, “other friends seem to have abandoned me in my time of need.” He also said he hasn’t seen Gaga’s dogs in almost a year, and it’s been a “struggle to know why.”

“I miss them every day. They were my whole life. You stole my purpose, and I’ve been lost without it,” he told White, adding that he hopes that both of them would find ways to mend in the future.

“I will lead a purposeful life that serves others and myself, and that’s my wish for you. My wish for you is the same. After you serve your time, if you want to make amends, find some meaning out of this. Find a life of purpose and serve those around you. That will mean more to me than any sort of time that you serve.”

White hung his head as Fischer spoke. After passing the sentence, the judge stated that White will be given credit for 533 days already served or earned through good behavior. After White was led away, Whaley appeared in court on Wednesday and was ordered to come back on September 20th for another pre-trial hearing. Meanwhile, Jackson is still on the run after being erroneously released from a Los Angeles jail in April due to a “clerical error.”

The three assailants allegedly carried out the street-level ambush due to the worth of the dogs’ breed, unaware that they belonged to the superstar singer. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

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