Eric B. Released After Being Jailed On A 17-Year-Old Warrant

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Eric B. Has Been Released From Jail

Eric B. of Eric B. and Rakim was released from a New Jersey jail on Tuesday after spending a total of two weeks behind bars.

According to reports from The NJ Advance Media, Eric B.—whose legal name is Eric Barrier—was put into jail on October 28 in Bergen County on a 17-year-old bench warrant. The outlet says that the DJ and producer plead guilty to aggravated assault and resisting arrest back in 2002. He then failed to appear at his scheduled sentencing in March of the same year, which is what led the judge to issue a warrant.

Patrick Toscano, Eric B.’s attorney, is claiming that his client was completely unaware of the warrant until last month when he was questioned about it by law enforcement in Vermont. The lawyer ended up telling the court that Eric’s 2002 attorney, Paul Bergrin, inaccurately informed his client that he did not have to show up for the March sentencing hearing.

“Mr. Bergrin told Mr. Barrier that his case was ‘dismissed’ because he was accepted into PTI (pre-trial intervention),” Toscano wrote in a letter to Judge James Guida. “When Mr. Barrier asked Mr. Bergrin if he was sure of that, Mr. Bergrin advised him that he definitely did not need to appear, and that Mr. Bergrin would be in court on that date to handle everything for him.”

Toscano also went on to point out that Eric’s former attorney is currently serving six life sentences for a slew of charges, including trafficking, racketeering, and murder.  “Bergrin’s counsel to Mr. Barrier was flawed, fraudulent, unethical and deceptive, through no fault of Mr. Barrier,” he pleaded.

Eric B. ended up being released on bail Tuesday afternoon as Judge Guida determined he was not a flight risk. He’s due back in court on November 22.