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Steven Ray Tickle, simply referred to as Tickle on Moonshiners, has run into trouble with the law on a number of occasions.
A fan-favorite on the Discovery Channel show, Tickle, 43, recently had to take time away from filming Moonshiners to address his legal matters.
Read on to learn about Tickle’s arrests and the stint he served in jail.
Tickle Was Arrested in 2013 & 2015
Tickle was first arrested in 2013 for public intoxication. According to the RTT News, the reality star was arrested in Virginia– he was drinking by himself while parked in a convenience store parking lot.
The outlet reports the officer on call as saying that there was a “strong odor of alcohol ‘as well as normal indications of being intoxicated'” when he approached the car.
TMZ later reported that the fine Tickle paid was only $25.
In 2015, Tickle was arrested once again for possessing a sawed-off shotgun. According to the Star Tribune, he was initially stopped by police for having a bad headlight on his vehicle. When officers pulled him over, they discovered that his license was suspended. The outlet reveals that the officer then saw a sawed-off shotgun in the truck.
The officer told the Star Tribune, “Mr. Tickle had a sawed-off 12 gauge shotgun in the front seat of the truck. The barrel length was approximately 14 inches long. The shotgun was in plain view.”
In court, Tickle’s attorney, Joe Garrett, argued that Tickle should not have been searched, as there was no search warrant or consent to search him.
He was later released on a $2,500 bond. Within weeks, Tickle was given a three-year suspended sentence.
He Served 5 Months for a Probation Violation
In September 2016, Tickle was ordered by a Pennsylvania Circuit Court Judge to serve five months in jail for using cocaine while on probation.
According to the Star Tribune, the reality star was placed on 12 months probation after being released from the 5 months active time in prison and was ordered to be on good behavior for five years.
In court, Tickle’s mother reportedly testified that her husband had a health scare in July. Tickle’s probation officer reported that Tickle had relapsed due to “stress from his father not feeling well and having a short time to live.”
When Tickle’s daughter took to the stand in his defense, she told the judge, “My dad is actually an amazing father.” She said that she was making straight A’s and her father helped her with her homework when he was able to.
Tickle, himself, followed that up by saying, “When I get out of jail, I fully intend to continue in it and help others afterward,” he said. “This is something I’m serious about, not something I’m doing to look good in court. I have not only hurt my daughter and my family, but also the people I work for. I have hurt the people on the tv show. I have possibly hurt their livelihood.”
Moonshiners airs Tuesdays on Discovery at 10pm ET/PT.
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