It’s a good thing Ryan Edwards quit Teen Mom OG when he did, because he might have had to leave the show anyway to do prison time! Maci Bookout‘s baby daddy was arrested in Hamilton County, TN on July 23 for possession of heroin — again — and he’s still on probation for the same charge in a 2017 case. Despite a June trip to rehab, Ryan has proved to be a repeat offender so this time around he could be spending actual time behind bars. “It really depends on the case, as far as whether somebody would be going to jail or to rehab after getting busted for heroin possession. Usually in this state we do try to send people to treatment for when they’re found with drugs, but a lot of times once they’ve given them multiple chances, like in this case where Ryan is violating probation, then at that point sometimes the judge says enough is enough and says they are going to jail and at that point they can put all the offender’s sentences into effect.” Ben Raybin, a Nashville based criminal defense attorney tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY.
“In Ryan’s case I can tell you he is facing up to 11 months and 29 days in jail just on this most recent charge of simple heroin possession. But that’s not all because he has a prior suspended sentence as well as probation that the judge could choose to add to his sentence,” Ben continues.
“To break it down, Ryan has the 6 months of probation he was sentenced to (in March 2018) as well as a suspended sentence of 11 months and 29 days stemming back to his very first arrest. He was able to get that sentence suspended but that does not mean it’s gone. It’s hanging over his head and since he has violated probation, if the judge chooses to he can do what I call un-suspend it. So they could potentially put those things together with the year he is facing on this most recent arrest. Worst case scenario he could actually be looking at 2 1/2 years in jail. I think it’s probably unlikely that he would get totally maxed out on all of that but he is potentially facing 2 1/2 years total in jail at this point,” Ben adds.
Ryan messed up big time, as he’s been given chances to avoid jail and keeps blowing them by relapsing to opioid use. He claimed on July 20 that he was sober, even though Maci told show producers he was using again. The 30-year-old and his pregnant wife Mackenzie revealed to E! that they decided to quit Teen Mom OG. “We’re not returning to Teen Mom this season. The network told us they don’t want to show Ryan as a recovering addict.” Mackenzie revealed.
Ryan added that Maci — the mother of his nine-year-old son Bentley — told producers she refused be part of the show’s upcoming season unless he entered treatment again, which is something Ryan didn’t think was needed. “They also want to take Maci’s word on how I’m doing. Maci’s said she’s not going to film unless I enter rehab again and quit the show. But I’m sober.” Clearly he wasn’t and Maci was right.