A VMA couldn’t stop the law. Jesse Helt, the young homeless man who accepted Miley Cyrus’ VMA award in August, has been sentenced to jail in his native Oregon for probation violations.

Helt, 22, brought the audience to tears with his speech during the VMAs, saying, “I’m accepting this award for the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving, lost, and scared for their lives right now.” Unfortunately, the national coverage of the moment drew the attention of the Oregon legal system, who issued a warrant for his arrest two days later.

According to ABC News, Helt was charged with “criminal mischief” in 2010 and sentenced to probation. His move to California to pursue modeling in 2011 was a violation of that probation. US Magazine reports that Cyrus, who met Helt while visiting a homeless youth center where he was staying, hired his lawyer, Whitney Boise. Boise argued for leniency, claiming that Helt was hoping to change his life and “make a difference” with other homeless youths. Helt himself spoke in court, saying that he’d “like to be viewed as a good person, not as a nuisance to society.”

NBC News reports Helt was sentenced to 6 months is jail in Polk County Oregon but will be credited for 57 days already served. Cyrus has not publically commented about the sentencing.