- Dajiya Blackwell has been sentenced to five years of probation
A Philadelphia influencer who livestreamed looting in the city last year was sentenced to five years of probation and more than 100 hours of community service, but avoids jail time.
Dajiya Blackwell, also known as Meatball on social media, 22, was charged with robbery, conspiracy, burglary, rioting, criminal mischief, criminal use of communication facilities, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct after widespread looting in Philadelphia in October.
The looting began after a judge dismissed all charges against a former police officer who shot and killed Eddie Irizarry, a 27-year-old man who had been arrested for “driving erratically.”
Blackwell livestreamed the looting and asked her Instagram followers to join her as she ran down the street.
Blackwell will complete 150 hours of community service, pay $10,000 and serve probation as part of his sentence.
Dayjia Blackwell was beaming on her Instagram Story on Thursday after avoiding jail time at a court hearing.
Blackwell thanked his legal team and followers on Instagram after he avoided jail. She was sentenced to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
Mug shot of Blackwell, who was arrested in October for participating in looting in Philadelphia and encouraging her Instagram followers to join in. She has now been sentenced to five years of probation and more than 100 hours of community service, but she has avoided jail.
The influencer, who has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram, took to social media to celebrate her sentence.
In one clip, she is seen smiling and laughing as she says, “I will never come back to this place again!”
She also shared an anecdote about her court appearance, in which she said the judge asked her what the writing on her necklace said.
‘Bad guys,’ Blackwell replied, but then he laughed and said ‘we’ve got to change that and make it say ‘good’, okay?’
On a separate slide, he said, “I just want to take the time to thank my attorney and my supporters…if it wasn’t for all of you, I probably would have left.”
In the heat of the riots, Blackwell turned to her 181,000 Instagram followers and filmed a mob as they looted every brand-name store, before moving on to a liquor store where she herself bragged about grabbing a bottle of Hennessy.
Pictured: Blackwell is arrested after being found by police during the October 2023 looting in Philadelphia.
Jessica Mann, Blackwell’s attorney, defended her client, saying the decision to livestream “was nothing more than capturing the stark reality of public outrage.”
Following her arrest in October, Blackwell, who was released on $25,000 bail, brazenly begged her fans to pay for a lawyer and urged people to buy her brand’s clothing and hats.
Her attorney, Jessica Mann, criticized the backlash Blackwell received, writing on social media: “It sickens me to witness the media’s complicity in what can only be described as an all-out attack on black and brown people, as that his character and actions are mercilessly vilified.’
Mann also criticized the media for publishing his mugshot with “tears streaming down his face and his hair a mess.”
Blackwell, however, uploaded his mugshot as his profile photo on social media.