Actor Arrested After 5-Hour Standoff With Police

An actor with years of experience working with companies like Disney, McDonald's, and Pringles was arrested in Granville County, North Carolina, on Monday for charges originating in Colorado.

Eric Leopardi is an actor who has played roles in commercials for Pringles and Tide as a child. As an adult, he has voiced ads for Disney, McDonald's, and Jim Beam, as well as promos for Suits, Hot in Cleveland, Up All Night, and many other brands.

Leopardi was in a 5-hour standoff with Granville County deputies after he failed to answer the door when they knocked, reported WRAL News. After a standoff that began around 7 a.m. in Oxford, the situation ended peacefully.

On Tuesday morning, he was in court, where he waived extradition back to Colorado. A warrant for the actor's arrest concerning two charges, including assault, had been issued near Denver.

"We would prefer to get him gone, because the attention is being paid to who he was, not who he is," said Sheriff Robert Fountain Jr. According to the sheriff, his deputies and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation went to the house and attempted to serve fugitive warrants, but he refused to come to the door.

"He knew he had warrants; he knew we were coming; he knew we were there," he said. Leopardi rented the property. According to court documents, he was served an eviction notice for failing to pay rent and having outstanding warrants.

According to WRAL News, Leopardi was also sued earlier this year in North Carolina for not fulfilling a business deal. The lawsuit claimed Leopardi had formed a new agency with a different company.

The purpose of the arrangement was to help grow the company and AI software. Leopardi was paid $750,000 for his services, but the lawsuit states he misrepresented his business and himself on purpose, and the plaintiff "received nothing in return." A judge ultimately ordered Leopardi to repay the money plus interest.

Leopardi is being held without bond. Fountain said his office is coordinating with Douglas County, Colorado law enforcement to have him brought back to face his charges there.

Leopardi's business deal involved joining the company producing the MyMood AI app to help lead its future development. According to LA Weekly, MyMood AI is an AI photo editor that produces "stunning, life-like, mood-driven AI avatars based on just a few selfies. In seconds, driven by cutting-edge proprietary AI technology, users are transformed into navy seals, cowboys, astronauts, and a host of other AI-driven scenarios creating stunning 4K custom avatars."

In an interview, per LA Weekly, in response to a question about future plans, Leopardi said, "We have ambitious goals for this year as well as a number of new products in development. Kale and I are the same. We want to get things done right but at lightning speed". He teased, "We're also in deep discussions on other fairly major acquisitions. Stay tuned for that!"