Ice Ice Baby: ’90s Rapper Arrested for Burglary in Palm Beach

The former rapper known as Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, was arrested in Lantana on Wednesday on suspicion on burglary and grand theft.

According to the Lantana Police Department, burglary and grand theft charges are most likely forthcoming; Van Winkle is suspected of entering a vacant home, at some point between December and this month, and removing items including pieces of furniture, a pool heater and bicycles.

As our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know, the vacant home did indeed have an owner, one who was displeased with the fact that the former rapper helped himself to the contents of the house.

Although it’s not necessarily known for being a reputable news source, TMZ has reported that the burglary was related to Van Winkle’s television show “The Vanilla Ice Project,” on which he oversees the renovation of homes. Apparently, the vacant home from which Van Winkle took items was located close to a home being renovated on his DIY network television show and Van Winkle went into the vacant home to take the items thinking it would be “a good idea” to do so.

Let’s be frank; our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know that this story is getting attention because the suspect involved was a major entertainment figure just during the last two decades. Had he not been the superstar behind “Ice Ice Baby,” we’d likely not be talking about his having removed items from a vacant home.

That said, people throughout Palm Beach, Broward County and Miami-Dade County are frequently charged with burglary and/or grand theft, two of the more common criminal offenses (misdemeanors and felonies) dealt with in South Florida criminal courts.

Being convicted of burglary and/or grand theft can yield sentences of decades in prison and/or up to $15,000 in fines depending on your conviction (burglary is a felony of the first degree, whereas grand theft varies in type of felony based on the value of the goods stolen). These punishments aren’t the only hardship you’ll face; you can also expect hefty court fees and costs, probationary periods, restitution, and the fact that, if convicted, you’ll have to acknowledge that you’re a convicted felony on future applications for employment, admission to school, etc.

Our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers are all former prosecutors; as such, we know from firsthand experience how burglary and grand theft cases are handled by the prosecution, and that gives us an edge in crafting a successful legal defense to such charges.

If you’ve been arrested for or charged with burglary or grand theft in Palm Beach, Broward or Miami-Dade County, please contact us to schedule a free consultation by calling 1-888-5-DEFEND (1-888-533-3363). We look forward to assisting you.