BOSTON -- An artist who created the "Hope" poster of President Barack Obama pleaded guilty Friday in a Boston courtroom to multiple counts of graffiti-related offenses.

Frank Shepard Fairey, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of defacing property in which he placed a poster on a Brighton Avenue electrical box, two counts of wanton destruction of property for a sticker he placed on a Fort Point traffic sign and a poster he affixed to a Back Bay condominium.

Fairey was ordered to serve two years of probation and told he must pay $2,000 to a Boston-based graffiti cleanup service. He also agreed to apologize to Boston residents for putting the stickers and posters in unauthorized areas.

"I believe in the importance of making art accessible through many avenues, and I will continue to advocate the use of legal public spaces for meaningful artistic expression and communication," Fairey said in a statement. "Freedom of expression is the bedrock of our democracy. However, I also believe it is important that people respect private property and do not use it without the authorization of the owner."

Fairey was arrested in Boston in February when he was in the city for an exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He admitted to putting the poster on the electrical box in 2000.

Prosecutors dropped 11 other graffiti-related charges against Fairey after a review of the evidence officers to believe they could not prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.