Ryan Garcia was charged with a misdemeanor count on Thursday for vandalism by the Los Angeles district attorney George Gascon from his commission last month on June 8th at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.
The 25-year-old Ryan, who is one of the biggest stars in the U.S in boxing, allegedly caused $15,000 in damage to the Astoria hotel, according to ESPN.
Garcia recently defeated Devin Haney, who many believe to be the #1 fighter at 140, by a twelve-round majority decision on April 20th and made it look easy. That win, which saw Ryan drop Haney three times, was changed to a no-contest due to his failed test for a PED.
Next month, Ryan Garcia’s arraignment is scheduled for August 7th at the Airport Courthouse in Los Angeles. If Ryan is convicted of vandalism, he could receive one year in jail.
“While we are grateful no injuries were reported in this incident, reckless behavior that damages property shows a blatant and unacceptable disregard for the safety and peace of our community,” Gascón said via ESPN. “Our office will work to ensure the responsible individual is held accountable.”
Interestingly, Ryan seems unconcerned about the charge and the potential for him to be on the shelf for a year, sitting in jail for the vandalism charge. Ryan said this:
No way I’m going to jail
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) July 18, 2024
The attitude that Ryan has suggests that he’s not going to receive a stiff punishment for this charge, but if he’s wrong, it could spoil his career.
The New York State Athletic Commission has already given Ryan a one-year suspension for testing positive for the PED Ostarine last April. That suspension will keep Ryan inactive until April 2025. If Ryan is given a year in jail, he will not see action for quite some time.
Ryan’s future in boxing could be hampered if a jail sentence keeps him out of the ring until 2026. While some fighters can sit on the shelf for two years and still fight at a high level, not many can without deteriorating.
