Well-known musician Aaron Carter will not receive jail time for his wild ride through Habersham County four years ago.
The 33-year-old Carter – who has produced several albums and became a worldwide teen star – pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving that stemmed from a July 15, 2017, incident when he was initially arrested on charges of DUI and possession of marijuana at a traffic stop in Cornelia.
Carter was stopped around 8 p.m. that night by the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office HEAT unit. He was driving along with his girlfriend, adult entertainment star Madison Parker. Carter received a fine of $750, 12 months probation and 40 hours of community service.
Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell said Carter was entering the AutoZone parking lot when he was approached by HCSO Deputy Brandon Holcomb, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) with the HEAT Unit, The Northeast Georgian reported in 2017.
Terrell said Holcomb was alerted to Carter’s vehicle, a rental white Chevrolet Suburban with no tag, after a BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued due to a complaint through Habersham County E-911 the vehicle was driving “erratically” while northbound on state Route 365.
Carter claimed he had a prescription for medical marijuana, but that did not excuse the alleged driving under the influence of the drug.
Terrell said those who are prescribed such medications, particularly narcotics used to treat pain, should be mindful many medication bottles have a clear warning not to drive or operate heavy machinery under the substances.
Carter responded the next day, saying that he was targeted for his celebrity. Terrell said at the time that was not the case.
“My comment is I had to look him up on Google to see who he was,” he said. “The young man who stopped him (Holcomb), he didn’t have a clue who he was either. We don’t see people drive by and say, ‘There’s a celebrity, we’re going to stop them. ...”
Carter and Parker broke up a month later, according to E Online, saying the split was “a long time coming.”
Carter also has appeared in Broadway musicals and was on “Dancing With The Stars.”