Crime & Arrests

12:09 PM PT -- A prison source tells us Bulger -- who is wheelchair bound -- was in general population Tuesday morning. We're told he was approached by 3 other inmates who wheeled him into a corner that could not be seen by surveillance cameras.

Our source says the inmates beat Bulger -- one used a lock in a sock as a weapon -- until he was unconscious. They also attempted to gouge his eyes out with some type of shiv, but were unsuccessful. Bulger fell to the ground covered in bruises and with several dents in his head.

As for the eyes, we've been doing some research -- back in the days of Murder Inc., (the 1940s gangsters, not the rappers) mobsters would gouge out the eyes of witnesses who talked to cops.

Whitey was an informant for the FBI starting back in 1975 -- so, this may have been a message from his killers to warn others about snitching.

11:43 AM PT -- A law enforcement source tells us Bulger's death is being treated as a suspected homicide.

11:15 AM PT -- TMZ has learned emergency dispatchers got a call from the prison for someone in cardiac arrest, and staffers at the facility were performing CPR. They also had a defibrillator on scene.

10:25 AM PT -- The Dept. of Justice says Bulger was found at 8:20 AM, and prison staff immediately attempted to resuscitate him. Bulger had just arrived at Hazelton on Monday.

James "Whitey" Bulger -- one of America's most notorious mobsters -- was found dead Tuesday in a federal prison where he had just been transferred ... TMZ has confirmed

Bulger was just moved to a new facility -- U.S. Penitentiary Hazelton in West Virginia, a maximum-security prison. Prison officials haven't released details, but say his body was found sometime after he was moved to the prison.

Bulger had been serving out his life sentence in a federal pen in Florida until last week, when he was transferred to one in Oklahoma City ... and then recently arrived in Hazelton. He was convicted in 2013 for a slew of crimes, including being linked to at least 11 murders.

The ex-crime boss was on the run for years and was one of the FBI's most wanted before being captured in Santa Monica in 2011.

Bulger's life story was documented in the 2015 flick, "Black Mass," where Johnny Depp played the ruthless Winter Hill Gang crime boss, and longtime FBI informant, who terrorized the Boston area for years.

On an episode of "Objectified" ... UFC honcho Dana White told Harvey Levin, Bulger was the reason he had to get the hell out of Boston.

Bulger was 89.

11:38 AM PT -- New info directly from police ...

The Weehawken PD says Lauletta was driving a 2017 Jaguar in a "dangerous manner" around 8 AM.

When an officer tried to stop him, the QB "attempted to evade him, making an illegal turn and continuing towards Route 495, almost striking the officer."

Another officer then stopped Lauletta -- but the QB "refused various instructions to produce his driving credentials and exit his vehicle."

Lauletta was then arrested and charged with 3rd degree eluding police, obstructing administration of law, resisting arrest, reckless driving, disregarding an officer's directions, improper turn and failure to remain in a marked lane.

There's more ... cops say upon further investigation, they realized the 2017 Jaguar registered to the QB was involved in a similar incident the previous day.

Cops say a summons for the previous incident was sent by mail since the car left the scene.

Kyle Lauletta -- the NY Giants backup quarterback -- was arrested in New Jersey early Tuesday morning on his way to practice, law enforcement confirms to TMZ Sports.

The 23-year-old was pulled over in Weehawken -- and allegedly failed to obey a police officer's directions, according to NJ.com.

Lauletta reportedly came close to striking the officer with his car.

NY Giants head coach Pat Shurmur issued a statement saying, “We were made aware of the situation this morning, and we have been in contact with Kyle. We are still in the process of gathering information. This is obviously very disappointing.”

Lauletta is a rookie out of the University of Richmond. The Giants selected him in the 4th round of the 2018 Draft.

With the Giants playing like garbage this season, there has been a push for Shurmur to start Lauletta over Eli Manning when they face the 49ers on Nov. 12.

Story developing ...

Aly Raisman just went OFF on USA Gymnastics -- saying the organization is still not being transparent about the child abuse scandal and warns the public ... THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED.

Raisman is really pissed about the fact there still has not been a full, independent investigation by law enforcement ... despite the fact she's been calling for one since JANUARY!!!

Raisman calls the situation "absolutely absurd."

During her interview with Hoda Kotb on "Today," Aly also stated, "We can't trust USA Gymnastics because they're not being transparent."

She was referring to 2 major recent developments in the program. First, Team USA tumbling coach Sergio Galvez being forced to resign amid undisclosed accusations of misconduct on Monday.

Second, Steve Penny -- the former president of USA Gymnastics -- being arrested by U.S. Marshals for allegedly tampering with evidence in the Larry Nassar case.

Aly's problem ... she claims Team USA Gymnastics needs to be more open about what really happened behind the scenes. Instead, she claims the org is more concerned with fixing a PR problem than a "child abuse problem."

1:22 PM PT -- Cops say Bonnar was speeding down I-15 in a red Cadillac CTS in excess of 90 MPH around 1:15 PM.

Witnesses say he was driving like a maniac. By the time the Highway Patrol responded to the scene, citizens had already surrounded the vehicle and physically restrained Bonnar, who appeared incoherent.

As cops tried to place handcuffs on him, Bonnar woke up and began to resist. With help from the citizens, cops eventually got him cuffed and transported him to a nearby station where he was booked for 3rd-degree felony DUI.

Cops say Bonnar reeked of booze. Medical staff also responded to the scene and determined nothing was medically abnormal, he was just drunk.

UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar was arrested for DUI on Sunday -- after a group of concerned citizens (one armed with a gun) corralled him after an apparent car crash in Nevada.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... witnesses claim the 41-year-old was driving erratically and feared he would hurt someone.

Somehow, a group of concerned citizens wrangled Bonnar to the ground and kept him at bay until law enforcement arrived.

One he was taken into official custody he was booked for DUI, resisting arrest and unsafe driving. Bail was set at $22,000.

Bonnar is a UFC legend -- he fought Forrest Griffin in the finale of the very first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" back in 2005 -- a fight that's regarded as one of the best and most important in UFC history.

Bonnar lost that fight, but got a UFC contract out of the deal and went on to have a pretty solid career -- fighting guys like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

Taylor "Lil Bit" Wright had a ton of legal trouble last week, because we've learned she got busted for a second time in 3 days -- and this time it involved her kids.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the former "Party Down South" star got arrested Wednesday for taking her kids out of their home state of Virginia to North Carolina -- a violation of her custody agreement with their father.

That arrest came just 48 hours after cops hauled her in for allegedly punching her mother-in-law in the face.

We broke the story ... Taylor cracked a pretty wide grin for her mug shot on that assault case.

The shooting that left a hole in the stomach of a Tekashi69 crew member was triggered by threats of gun violence and death ... threats coming from the rapper's own muscle.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Tekashi's crew tried to bully its way into the NYC restaurant where 6ix9ine was supposed to meet with a record exec. The rapper's security was turned away and threatened to shoot the men who wouldn't let them in.

We're told Tekashi was meeting record exec Elliot Grainge for dinner. Elliot was waiting for Tekashi at the restaurant with his two bodyguards, retired NYPD detective Efrain Vasquez and Maurice Fernandez.

When Tekashi arrived with his 7-person entourage, a fight broke out after Fernandez told Tekashi's crew they weren't welcome. 6ix9ine then called off the meeting and left.

Some of Tekashi's crew stayed behind and for some reason insisted on entering. One of the men allegedly shouted, "F*** this, I'm getting inside!"

Fernandez texted Vasquez -- who was inside -- telling him Tekashi's men were trying to force their way in and feared they had guns.

Vasquez charged outside to back up Fernandez, and then Tekashi's crew member, Shottie, allegedly threatened them, saying, "I'm going to violate you both with gunshots."

One of the men in 6ix9ine's group then allegedly yelled, "Shoot these motherf***ers! Gunfire!"

One of Tekashi's associates allegedly struck Vasquez in the head with a chair ... and two witnesses said Shottie was the man wielding the furniture.

Vasquez saw one of Tekashi's guys pull up his shirt and reach for something in his waistband ... that's when Vasquez brandished his gun, firing 2 rounds and hitting one of Tekashi's crew in the stomach.

Everyone scattered after gunfire erupted, but police tracked down and arrested 2 of the 3 Tekashi associates allegedly involved in the melee ... Faheem "Crippie" Walter and Zachary Bunce.

Shottie -- real name Kifano Jordan -- has not been apprehended.

Lance Lazzaro, the criminal defense attorney who reps Tekashi, Shottie and the 2 men, tells TMZ ... "It is my understanding that Tekashi was not present when the incident occurred. Shottie has no involvement with any criminal act. The two other men were victims of an assault. The charges will be completely dismissed at some point against them both."

Cesar A. Sayoc, the suspected bomber in a domestic terrorism plot targeting high-level politicians, worked as an exotic dancer for years and even threatened to kill and infect other dancers with HIV ... TMZ has learned.

As you can see from the photos ... Cesar worked as an exotic dancer from 1996-2000.

We're told Cesar's time as a stripper was tumultuous ... on several occasions, he threatened other dancers and was constantly jealous of colleagues who were making more money than him or diminishing his presence on stage.

According to dancers who worked with him ... Cesar once threatened to stab another dancer with a syringe loaded with HIV-infected blood.

We're told Cesar once got so jealous of a rival dancer, he taped tuna can lids to the bottom of his boots and threatened to stomp the dancer's face and cut him up. When people laughed at him, he became enraged and said, "Just wait. I'm going to take this guy out."

It's interesting ... Cesar traveled the country in a van during his stripping days, and Friday he was busted in a van covered with stickers threatening Hillary Clinton and CNN personalities. He also made multiple violent threats against TMZ on social media.

Even more disturbing ... we've obtained video of Cesar wiring accessories he used to light up stripper's costumes during his time with Gold Productions.

The man who got beat up by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler claims he needs surgery to repair his injuries from the 2017 attack ... so now he's suing the NFL player.

As we previously reported Fowler confronted and attacked Alvin Trotman on July 18, 2017 after a dispute in an apartment complex parking lot in Florida.

Trotman claims he was innocently strolling through with groceries when he witnessed Fowler almost hit another car. Trotman admits he made a comment to Fowler, who then got out of his car and said, "What did you say, bitch?"

Trotman says Fowler punched him in the face, stomped on his prescription glasses, stole his grocery bag and threw it in a nearby lake.

Fowler was arrested and convicted in the subsequent battery case and was sentenced to a year probation.

But, Trotman says he's still really injured from the attack -- with damage to his back and a torn rotator cuff that requires surgery.

Trotman also claims he suffers from humiliation and mental anguish, and he wants Fowler to pony up a check to make things right.

Parker McKenna, who played Damon Wayans' daughter on "My Wife and Kids," claims her ex-boyfriend beat the crap out of her, and he's now sitting in a Houston jail ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Parker told prosecutors her ex, YouTube star Chris Sails, got pissed after he saw a DM from another man on her phone, and started beating her so badly, she thought she was going to die.

The alleged incident went down last month in the couple's apartment. Parker claims Chris repeatedly punched and slapped her in the face, and choked her while slamming her head on the ground.

Parker called cops and responding officers noticed she had a black eye and cuts on her neck. We're told she initially claimed a woman who was visiting had attacked her. Two weeks later she recanted, and told cops Sails punched her.

A top official with the doomed Fyre Festival knew the event was a total fraud and tried to cover it up with some social media smoke and mirrors ... according to concertgoers suing the festival honcho.

Grant Margolin -- the Chief Marketing Officer for Fyre -- is being sued by ticket buyers who claim he directed employees to delete Facebook and Instagram comments blasting the festival. According to the suit, hashtags like "fake," "fraud" and "scam" were all scrubbed.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiffs -- repped by Ben Meiselas -- say this is significant because it allowed Margolin to continue misleading and luring concertgoers to buy tickets.

Margolin is calling BS, and says social media moderation is a common practice because it's the most important way to defend a brand.

As we reported ... Fyre organizers were sued in May 2017 after the festival looked more like a refugee camp than a luxurious oasis.

Billy McFarland, the festival organizer, was sentenced earlier this month to 6 years in federal prison.

11:52 AM PT-- During a DOJ press conference, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Sayoc has been charged with 5 federal crimes -- interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former Presidents, threatening interstate communication and assaulting current and former federal officers. If convicted, Sayoc faces up to 58 years in prison.

FBI director Chris Wray said, after the FBI's initial analysis, "They found a latent fingerprint from one of the envelopes sent to Congresswoman Maxine Waters," adding that Sayoc's DNA was also linked to multiple packages delivered. "These are not hoax devices," Wray said.

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill later said there might be more packages that have yet to be delivered, and encouraged the public to take caution.

10:43 AM PT -- Sayoc was arrested in 2002 for threatening to blow up Florida Power & Light utilities company and said, "It would be worse than September 11th" ... according to Miami PD records. He also threatened to harm the employee who was on the phone if they cut off his electricity.

He was charged with phone bomb threats, and eventually sentenced to one year probation.

10:35 AM PT -- Sayoc was in handcuffs as heavily armed law enforcement officers took him into custody.

Also, Chippendales tells us Sayoc was working for a knockoff company ... not the real Chippendales.

9:05 AM PT -- Our law enforcement sources confirm the suspect's name is Cesar A. Sayoc, a 56-year-old from Aventura, FL ... and he has an extensive criminal history.

We found this image of him wearing a MAGA hat from 2016. We know he attended at least one Trump rally that year.

In 2014, Sayoc was on probation for battery and grand theft, and requested permission to travel due to his job as a road manager for Chippendales, International Gold Productions and Cesar Palace Royale Burlesque Show.

8:45 AM PT -- President Trump just addressed the crowd about the arrest of the suspect.

This close-up image of one side of the van shows images with crosshairs over Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, CNN's Van Jones ... and many more. There are also several positive images of the President and VP Mike Pence.

Federal authorities have nabbed a suspect for the rash of explosive devices sent this week to President Trump's political foes ... TMZ has confirmed.

The man was arrested Friday morning in Plantation, FL ... and law enforcement swarmed around a vehicle believed to belong to the suspect. The van is covered with political stickers ... including images of the President.

Bombing suspect Cesar A. Sayoc never worked for the real deal Chippendales -- as he claimed to a judge -- and instead worked for a cheap replica ... so says the male revue.

We're told Cesar worked for Gold Productions, a touring company that's used the Chippendales name -- and has been sued multiple times by the real company.

Chippendales tells us they had no clue who Cesar was before he was identified as the primary suspect in the rash of explosive devices sent this week to President Trump's political foes.

Suge Knight is now at the California state prison he could call home for the remainder of his 28-year sentence ... TMZ has learned.

Suge arrived Tuesday at Wasco State Prison ... and based on his super sad mug shot, it doesn't look like the former Death Row Records exec is thrilled with his new digs.

The prison is basically in the middle of nowhere in Kern County, and has 400 beds. It's a far cry from the lavish lifestyle Suge enjoyed when he was at his peak, partying in Hollywood with Tupac, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

He'll undergo a battery of exams -- physical and mental -- and review his records before determining his permanent "home." He could stay at Wasco or be shipped off to a different state pen.

TMZ broke the story ... Suge struck a plea deal last month, and got a 28-year prison sentence. He got credit for time served and, due to prison overcrowding, could be out in a little over 10 years.

The last time we saw Suge ... he was flashing a menacing glare in court immediately following sentencing.

As we reported ... Knight ran over Terry Carter back in January 2015 in the Tam's Burgers parking lot in Compton.

TMZ obtained surveillance video from Tam's showing Knight putting his truck in reverse, knocking over one man, then driving forward over Terry ... killing him.

"Ray Donovan" star Marion "Pooch" Hall had a brief day in court, and pled not guilty in his drunken car crash case.

Hall was present, with his attorney, in L.A. County Superior Court Thursday morning and entered his pleas to felony child abuse and DUI. TMZ broke the story ... Hall was charged earlier Wednesday. As we first reported, witnesses saw Hall driving with his toddler in his lap, holding the steering wheel, when he crashed into a parked car.

He blew a .25, more than 3 times the legal limit and, miraculously, nobody was injured.

In court, Hall revealed he's entered a 60-day residential rehab program. The judge told him to continue and when that's done, ordered him to attend 2 AA classes per week and get outpatient treatment ... as a condition of his bail.

Taylor "Lil Bit" Wright is in a little bit of legal and family trouble after getting arrested for clocking her mother-in-law ... TMZ has learned.

The former "Party Down South" star was pretty smiley in the mug shot snapped after Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies hauled her in Monday in North Carolina. Cops tell us she was busted at her home on a warrant issued in Virginia ... and related to an alleged family dust-up back in June.

Law enforcement sources say Taylor allegedly punched her mother-in-law in the eye during an argument that actually started with her husband, Jake Mapp. He told police he'd gone to his parents' house to cool down, but Taylor followed him and ended up punching his mother.

We're told Jake's mom didn't press charges at the time, but she must have been stewing over the incident. Last week she went to police, filed a report and the warrant was issued.

An assistant coach for the University of Michigan gymnastics team was arrested earlier this month for having sex in public after officials say he nailed an 18-year-old member of the UM team in a car.

The asst. coach is 39-year-old Scott Vetere -- a former stud gymnast back in the day who was the 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year.

Officials say Vetere and a female gymnast were doing floor exercises in a car in the parking lot of an Ann Arbor apartment building on Oct. 8 ... when they were spotted by police and arrested for performing an indecent act in public.

The female gymnast was also arrested. Both parties are due back in court next month.

A rep for the University of Michigan confirmed Vetere was "immediately suspended" when the school learned of his arrest.

He later resigned from his position and no longer works for the University.