Why is Ryan Edwards going to prison? Details on charges and sentence period explored

Ryan Edwards, a former Teen Mom cast member, was arrested earlier this month for harassing his ex-wife, Mackenzie Edwards. He recently pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to almost a year in jail in Tennessee. As part of his plea deal, he will have to wear a GPS monitor and go to rehab to treat his substance abuse problems. Additionally, he is not allowed to have any contact with Mackenzie except “as allowed by circuit order.”

This was not Ryan’s first arrest this year, as he was previously arrested in February and booked on several counts, including harassment, “possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance,” and violating an Order of Protection that Mackenzie had taken out against him.

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"He’s a danger to the public”: Judge Gary Starnes states about Ryan Edwards at his hearing

The former Teen Mom cast member, who was previously involved with two stars of the franchise, has recently gotten himself into a lot of legal trouble in relation to Mackenzie Edwards, who recently filed for divorce from him.

Their issues began earlier this year when Ryan accused Mackenzie of cheating on him through various Instagram posts, which included revealing pictures of the reality star without her consent.

Mackenzie then got herself an Order of Protection against her ex-husband on February 8, which he violated within 24 hours by getting in touch with her father, Bob Standifer. Ryan Edwards was then arrested, searched, and charged with two counts of drug possession.

A press release by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office about the incident read:

"During the course of looking into the issue of breaking the Order of Protection, HCSO deputies learned that Ryan had an active warrant for Harassment which was taken out by the Chattanooga Police Department."

Since then, the reality star has been arrested multiple times, including once in March when he was booked for stalking and violating Mackenzie’s Order of Protection. The next month, police found him unconscious and unresponsive in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, and he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and a DUI.

According to the arrest affidavit, Ryan Edwards admitted to snorting “a powder” before he woke up in the back of an ambulance. The police also found a bag of “crystal type substance” along with a small bag of “blue powder.”

Ryan was sentenced on Monday when Judge Gary Starnes stated that, while he’s addicted to hard drugs, he’s "not a bad person." However, he also believes that Ryan is “an extreme danger to himself and others.”

The judge told the reality star:

"You would’ve been dead. You should realize that. He’s a danger to the public by driving his truck on drugs."

He noted that having Edwards in jail is in his and the public’s best interests rather than sending him to rehab for the time being. He added that the reality star overdosed while in his truck on Broad Street and had to be brought back to life.

He further told Ryan Edwards to “grow up.” The judge said that he has three children and that while he may have issues with his life, he needs to think about his kids and that he was trying to save his life.

Ryan Edwards is set to return to court on June 12 for his DUI and possession charges.