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Randy Quaid's wife makes plea deal in hotel case

By Alan Duke, CNN
Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, have paid their Santa Barbara hotel bill in full, officials say.
Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, have paid their Santa Barbara hotel bill in full, officials say.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Felony charges dropped against actor and his wife
  • They were accused of skipping out on $10,000 hotel bill
  • Evi Quaid agrees to misdemeanor charge, probation and community service
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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Felony fraud charges against actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, were dropped Wednesday after she accepted a deal on a misdemeanor offense, a California prosecutor said.

The Quaids were facing felony charges of defrauding an innkeeper and skipping out on a $10,000 hotel bill in Santa Barbara, California, in September 2009.

The couple have paid the bill in full, according to Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Arnie Tolks.

After Evi Quaid entered a plea of no contest to one misdemeanor count of defrauding an innkeeper, she was sentenced to three years probation and 240 hours of community service, Tolks said.

The Quaids were first arrested in Texas in September on a warrant issued by a Santa Barbara judge. They missed several court dates since then, prompting the judge to order them to jail on Monday unless they posted $100,000 bail each, which they did.

After the couple showed up for a court hearing on Monday, their lawyer negotiated a plea deal.

While investigators had circumstantial evidence against Randy Quaid, they could not prove his direct involvement in dealing with the hotel or the credit card transaction, Tolks said.

Evidence showed it was Evi Quaid who handled the business with the hotel, he said.

Quaid, 56, is known for his roles in several films, including the "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies, "Kingpin" and "Brokeback Mountain." His younger brother is actor Dennis Quaid.

CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report.