Anthony Ruffo has been sentenced to two years in Santa Cruz County Jail, two years in a sheriff's custody program and one year of mandatory supervision.
The 48-year-old surfer from Santa Cruz will only serve one year in County Jail, after he pleaded no contest, last December, to possession, consumption and selling of methamphetamine.
Darryl "Flea" Virotsko, Ken "Skindog" Collins and Rocky Romano, who is producing the Ruffo's biopic, have all attended the court where Judge Paul Marigonda took the final decision.
In the last 11 months, Anthony Ruffo has been treating himself at the Clean Mind Healthy Planet Treatment Center, in New York. At the same time, the Santa Cruz surfer has spoken at schools and juvenile detention centers about the consequences of hard drug use.
"I want to make it clear that I understand and take full responsibility for my actions. Being a middleman in a drug deal is the same as being a drug dealer and I take full responsibility for that," said Ruffo. "I want to take this moment to apologize to my family, to my friends and the surfing community and the community of Santa Cruz."
After the sentencing ordered Ruffo to be handcuffed immediately and sent to County Jail. Ben Rice, his attorney, expected a few weeks delay before Ruffo would have to report to jail.
Anthony Ruffo faced more than five years in state prison, before the state's prison overhaul started six months ago. It is possible that he could be eligible for work release or electronic monitoring before the jail sentence is finished.
The former pro surfer won the first Coldwater Classic, in 1985, and on February Ruffo won a Volcom Pro/Am surf event against surfers half his age.
In December, Ruffo pleaded to possession of drugs for sale, being under the influence of drugs and being a felon in possession of a stun gun after a raid on his Laurel Street home in 2010. In 2005, Ruffo, 48, was convicted of selling meth.