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Obama Streaker Avoids Jail, Gets Two Years Probation
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 29, 2011
Modified Jan 29, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 29, 2011
Modified Jan 29, 2011
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The Staten Island man who was arrested after streaking at a Philadelphia rally where President Obama was speaking won't have his freedom stripped away: A judge decided to sentence the 24-year-old to two years reporting probation (which can be served in NYC) even though prosecutors wanted Juan Rodriguez to serve at least three months. But Rodriguez always suspected he'd be able to get away with being naked in the city of Brotherly Love, "Philadelphia has a history of streaking... [I thought it] would be more lenient toward me and see it for what it was...[a guy just] chillin'."
When talking with the Philadelphia Daily News, he also pointed out, "You could see I had no weapons on me." Still, prosecutors pointed to one of Rodriguez's previous crimes: Jumping a subway turnstile.
Rodriguez was trying to win $1 million from Alki David, founder of Battlecam.com, who wanted to promote his site (Rodriguez had written "Battlecam.com" on his belly), but David refused to pay Rodriguez because he didn't get close enough to Obama. (David later claimed he gave $110,000 to Rodriguez.)
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alki david
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JUAN RODRIGUEZ
obama streaker
philadelphia
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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