Justin Bieber
Image Instagram/Justin Bieber

What's going on with Justin Bieber? After all the prostitutes scandals in different countries of Latin America, now the Biebs is making headlines for a felony he committed. Late Tuesday, Nov. 5 protected by his security detail, Bieber tagged "Respect privacy" and "I am off" as well as several drawings on a hotel wall in Rio's tourist southern zone. The pop star took it to his Instagram and posted a picture of him finishing a monkey with a nose ring, earrings, a lip stud and a necklace. "This is my escape," he wrote.

Justin posted more pictures of his graffiti and said, "Every place I have tagged has been approved I do not suggest tagging private property. I still suck but i have fun doing it ;)" A police probe subsequently established that the 19-year-old pop star had received permission from City Hall to tag a wall at the Olympic Village in the Vidigal shantytown, but Bieber's entourage felt that it wasn't a safe area so they tagged another wall assuming it was an abandoned building. Unfortunately for him, tagging the wall was illegal.

That place turned out to be the former Hotel Nacional in the Joá neighborhood, which is being renovated after it was bought by a group of Brazilian businessman in 2009 for around $37 million. According to civil police chief Antonio Ricardo, officers tried to locate the Canadian after he left the wall at around 6 a.m. "It's a crime," said Ricardo, "Even celebrities need to know that here in our country, laws are to be obeyed." However, when officers entered the private mansion rented by Bieber during his stay in Brazil, he had already left the country in his private jet to continue the South American leg of his world tour.

Graffiti is a considered a crime of vandalism in Brazil which carries a jail sentence of between three months to one year. "Even if he did this without knowing if it was lawful or not, it doesn't matter," said Ricardo, "What is important is that the act is a crime and he will have to be legally responsible for that." However, after a three-day testimony and hearing from everyone involved, including photographers who snapped him during the act, police officers, Justin's security guards and others, Rio police confirmed to E! News that the Biebs will only have to pay a fine and will not be arrested. It will take at least 30 days for the judge to examine all of the evidence and determine the cost of the fine.

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