Bilzerian Avoids Jail Time in No Contest Plea Deal

Greg Shaun

6 years ago

Dan Bilzerian won’t face jail time after agreeing to a plea deal that will see him create a PSA for the Bureau of Land Management. (Image: viral66.com)

Dan Bilzerian, the poker player, actor and Instagram star who has become infamous for his outrageous photos and videos, managed to avoid jail time after pleading no contest to an explosives charge in a Nevada court.

He and Jeremy Guymon both pleaded guilty to negligently failing to extinguish a fire in the open, a misdemeanor charge that comes with a fine but no risk of imprisonment.

Bilzerian was arrested in December after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport based on a warrant from Clark County, Nevada.

That followed an investigation into an explosion that took place outside of Las Vegas on November 4, an explosion that apparently took place on federal land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The arrest saw Bilzerian charged with possessing the components of an explosive or incendiary device with intent to manufacture such a device, and could have potentially landed the “King of Instagram” in jail.

Bilzerian Will Pay for Clean-Up, Shoot PSAÂ

In the end, Bilzerian only copped to a much lesser charge. He did not appear in court to enter the plea last Friday, but attorney David Chesnoff was there to represent him and hear the guilty verdict from Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Sciscento, which including a clean-up cost of $17,231.50.

Bilzerian will also be asked to help make a public service announcement video for the BLM. Guymon, who was represented by attorney Richard Schonfeld, will also owe a fine of $2,768.50. But the key for both men was avoiding and possibility of jail time.

“Both parties are stipulating that this is not a crime of moral turpitude,” said Chesnoff.

In addition, Bilzerian and Guymon appear to be off the hook with federal authorities as well. There was the potential for them to pursue charges as well, since the incident took place on federally-managed land.

However, both lawyers said that federal officials have agreed not to pursue the case any further. Prosecutors in Nevada also said they were done with the case.

“It is largely unnecessary to go further based on the conditions of the plea and the facts of this case,” said prosecutor David Stanton.

It is expected that Bilzerian will shoot his PSA sometime in the next few weeks. The video will advise Americans on what they should not do on public land, presumably including some of the activities Bilzerian is best known for. Chesnoff said that his client is looking forward to making the video.

Explosion Sent Truck Parts Across Federal Land

According to police, the incident involved Bilzerian and Guymon firing a rifle to detonate 90 pounds of an explosive mix that had been packed into a beverage cooler inside of a tractor-trailer cab.

The resulting explosion scattered debris from the truck over a 300-yard area. The explosion also sparked a small wildfire that was quickly contained, one that opened up the possibility of allowing the two men to plea to the charge of failing to extinguish that fire.

Bilzerian was caught in part because of social media posts he made about shooting a rifle at the scene. A BLM ranger then stopped Guymon while driving Bilzerian’s truck in the area not long after the blast.

Bilzerian is no stranger to legal troubles. In May, he was sued by porn star Janice Griffith, who hurt her foot after Bilzerian threw her off of a roof as part of a Hustler magazine photo shoot.

In August, he was banned from a nightclub in Miami after he kicked a woman in the face during a fight.