Actor Parker Bagley — best known for his role as the original Jason DiLaurentis in ABC’s “Pretty Little Liars” — pleaded guilty in Manhattan yesterday to misdemeanor petit larceny for lifting $7,000 in jewelry and electronics from a gal pal’s Murray Hill apartment.
Bagley, 23, hammed it up for news photographers at a courthouse hot-dog stand before taking the plea, and couldn’t help joking good naturedly about his criminal woes afterward.
“I’m just glad they didn’t find the bodies,” he quipped after his court session. “That would have been bad.”
The plea saves him from a felony record on the original top charge, grand larceny. He had been busted in January after swiping the small stash of pricey gadgets and baubles.
“Well, you see,” he started explaining to reporters. Then he stopped. “I’m just thinking the more I explain the worse it will look on your Web site,” he said.
According to the original complaint against him, Bagley had been told he could stay overnight in the apartment at 300 East 34th Street on an evening in October.
Bagley’s pal told police that when she later returned to the apartment, Bagley was gone. So were her and her female roommates’ two iPads, a BlackBerry, an iPod, three necklaces and a bracelet, she told cops.
Bagley had initially confessed that he took the goods — two iPads, a BlackBerry, an iPod, three necklaces and a bracelet — then denied the thefts, blaming them on a “shady” acquaintance.Otherwise, “I’m just committing crimes,” he deadpanned. “And trying to not get caught. That’s the tricky part — not getting caught.”
As part of today’s plea before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Crane, Bagley cut a $3,400 restitution money order, with the balance due in June.
Bagley had played “Jason” on the teen mystery drama before being replaced by a yet-hunkier model. Bagley said his big project these days is writing and playing guitar and harmonica for his folk band, Parker Bagley and his Band of Ruffians.