The drummer of Journey, 51-year-old Deen Castronovo, was sentenced on Monday to four years of probation after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges stemming from a series of arrests earlier this year.
Deen was arrested back on June 14 after he, according to prosecutors, knowingly caused physical injury to a woman, Page Six reported.
Two weeks after the arrest, he was arrested and ordered to stay behind bars after he, according to prosecutors, texted the woman from the previous incident a total of 122 times and called her another 35 — all while a no-contact order was in place.
Less than a week after his June 14 arrest in Salem, Oregon, Journey announced that he had been replaced by Omar Hakim.
Castronovo first joined Journey back in 1998, replacing former drummer Steve Smith.
He’s now looking at over five years in prison if he violates the terms of his probation, according to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.
TMZ previously reported that the woman in the incident was his wife, Deidra Castronovo, and that he had been charged with rape, coercion, sexual abuse and unlawful use of a weapon — in addition to domestic violence.
Before his series of run-ins with the law, the then drummer of Journey donated $10,000 to an Oregon high school following the loss of the school’s band room, which was torched by an arsonist.
Journey — known for such hits as “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Wheel in the Sky” — was formed in San Francisco back in 1973 by former members of Frumious Bandersnatch and Santana. The band was originally called the Golden Gate Rhythm Section, a name perhaps more befitting of its origin intent: a backup group for established S.F. Bay Area artists.
What are your thoughts on Castronovo’s legal troubles?
