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"Wire" Actress 'Snoop' Pearson Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

Actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson of the hit HBO series The Wire has plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin. The plea came one day before her trial was set to begin. Pearson was one of several dozen people arrested last March in a massive drug ring accused of distributing heroin in Baltimore.

Prosecutors say Pearson was captured on audiotape making drug buys—an ironic imitation of The Wire.

The judge accepted the plea deal and suspended a seven-year sentence with credit for time served, reports the Baltimore Sun.

"I have things to do, I have to move on with my life," said Pearson, 31, explaining her decision to take a deal. She repeatedly said she would have been found "not guilty" at trial, but that she couldn't wait for the proceeding, which could have been years in coming.

A statement of facts read aloud by a prosecutor Monday claims that Pearson sometimes allowed two heroin dealers to use her downtown apartment to store drugs and money in exchange for payment, that she occasionally sold the drug herself and that another member of the conspiracy — who was kidnapped by rival drug dealers — stopped by Pearson's place to pick up his own ransom.

Pearson has a very troubled history. At 14-years-old, she was convicted of second degree murder and released from prison after serving a six-and-a-half year sentence. She was arrested in 2010 for  refusing to testify in a murder trial, reports the Washington Post.

The Wire ran from 2002 to 2008 and was filmed in Baltimore, putting a spotlight on the city's struggle with drug violence. Pearson's character—also named "Snoop"—was a hardcore killer for a drug gang. "Snoop" was one of several Black gay characters in the series—homothug and stickup artist Omar Little became a pop culture icon—and Pearson attracted a cult following for playing television's first unapologetic Black, butch lesbian. "Snoop" was famously killed off by actor Tristan Wilds, who played a reluctant young assassin.

Pearson was then described as "one of [the] rare openly gay Black actress in Hollywood." Unfortunately she displayed an amazing lack of awareness on LGBT issues. In a 2008 interview with Jasmyne Cannick, Pearson said she "really wouldn’t know" anything about homophobia or discrimination" in Hollywood or the Black community because it "never" affected her.

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Coming Down to "The Wire"

"Wire" Actress 'Snoop' Pearson Denied Bail After Bmore Drug Raid

Actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson of the hit HBO series The Wire is behind bars and without bail after dozens of people were arrested for allegedly conspiring to sell and distribute heroin in Baltimore.

The 30-year-old Pearson was taken into custody on a state warranton conspiring to distribute heroin and aiding and abetting, according to the Baltimore Sun. During the arraignment, Pearson argued the judge and claimed she would not be a flight risk.

Prosecutor[s] accused her of helping to bankroll the suspected drug organization. "I have no money," she told Judge John Addison Howard. "Check my bank account. I have no money." When the prosecutor argued that Pearson travels frequently for her job, the 30-year-old actress angrily shot back, "How can I go anywhere? Everybody knows my name."

Howard answered that is the precise reason for holding her without bail. "You are a good actress. … Everybody knows your name. People change names. They  …"

Pearson interrupted: "I can’t change my face."

"Well, you can change your appearance," the judge responded. "I’ve seen the episodes of The Wire in which you appear. You look very different than you do here today, and I’m not talking about the jumpsuit, I’m talking about your general appearance."

The Associated Press adds: "The judge mentioned that the state has audio of Pearson putting in a large amount of money to fund the drug operation."

Pearson has a very troubled history with the law. At 14-years-old, she was convicted of second degree murder and released from prison after serving a six-and-a-half year sentence. She also was arrested recently for  refusing to testify in a murder trial, reports the Washington Post.

The Wire ran from 2002 to 2008 and was filmed in Baltimore, putting a spotlight on the city's struggle with drug violence. Pearson's character—also named "Snoop"—was hardcore killer for a drug gang. "Snoop" was one of several Black gay characters in the series—homothug and stickup artist Omar Little became a pop culture icon—and Pearson attracted a cult following for playing television's first unapologetic Black, butch lesbian. "Snoop" was famously killed off by actor Tristan Wilds, who played a reluctant young assassin.

Pearson was described as "one of [the] rare openly gay Black actress in Hollywood." In a 2008 interview with Jasmyne Cannick, Pearson said she "really wouldn’t know" anything about homophobia or discrimination in Hollywood. And on the deeply-entrenched homophobia in the Black community, Pearson said she had "no thoughts. It doesn’t come around me."

Coming Down to "The Wire"

The final season of HBO's dramatic tour de force The Wire is coming to a close. This next episode will be the last and Sunday's installment was truly bittersweet. Michael, the young assassin recruited from the local junior high school and played to perfection by Tristan Wilds, was responsible for the death of one of the series' most memorable characters.

Spoilers and analysis after the jump.