Crime & Arrests

4/9 -- At least one of Felicity's productions is on hold -- the Netflix comedy "Otherhood," co-starring Patricia Arquette and Angela Bassett, was supposed to be available April 26. We're told it no longer has a launch date.

She's co-starring in another Netflix film, "When They See Us" -- about the Central Park Five -- and that's still slated for a May 31 release.

3:23 PM PT -- Felicity's plea deal WILL include prison time after all, IF prosecutors get their way ... but only a little.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, federal prosecutors are recommending a prison term at the "low end of the sentencing guidelines."

In the docs, the feds say that would be somewhere between 4 to 10 months -- however, Felicity is reserving the right to argue the range should be 0 to 6 months. All of this should be sorted out in sentencing, and it's important to note, these are just the recommendations from prosecutors. The judge will have ultimate say at sentencing.

BTW, they also suggest she pay a fine or penalty of $20k, plus a TBD restitution amount and one year of probation.

Felicity Huffman has thrown in the towel in her college admissions cheating scandal ... agreeing to plead guilty, along with 12 other parents and one coach.

The former "Desperate Housewives" star was one of 14 people who entered guilty pleas Monday. She pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud as well as honest services mail fraud.

Felicity Huffman, 56, of Los Angeles, Calif, paid Rick Singer $15,000 to rig her daughter's SAT test. The girl had twice the amount of time as normal to take the exam and the proctor corrected her answers afterward.

Huffman released a statement saying, "I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions."

She continues, "I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community."

As for sentencing ... no word. TMZ broke the story, our sources in the prosecutor's office say they wanted some prison time. The prosecutor recommends a sentence to the judge, and the judge has the final word.

The maximum sentence is 20 years in prison.

Lori Loughlin and her husband were not part of the plea deal.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart is speaking out about that crazy attack during his WWE Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday ... saying, " I want to let everyone know that I am okay and was not injured."

GREAT NEWS!!!

Of course, the 61-year-old legend was blindsided by a violent idiot who snuck on stage and tackled Bret while he was delivering his induction speech alongside Natalya Neidhart ... the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim was also part of the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class.

"What a wild weekend to say the least," Bret posted on social media Monday.

"If there’s one thing I want everyone to take away from the Hall of Fame ceremony is not so much what happened, but how I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from completing my tribute to my best friend and our team."

Bret added, "Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words."

As for the attacker, cops arrested Zachary Madsen -- who's since been charged with assault and criminal trespassing. He was held on $1,500 bond.

Madsen was also pummeled by ex-UFC star Travis Browne -- who happened to be ringside with his wife Ronda Rousey during the attack.

After the incident, Madsen told police he decided to tackle Hart because "I just felt like it was the right moment."

NHL forward JT Brown was arrested just hours before his Minnesota Wild team took on the Dallas Stars on Saturday ... 'cause cops say he was involved in TWO drunken altercations.

The Wild stud -- who was the first-ever NHL player to protest during the national anthem -- went out partying in Dallas the night before his team was set to play in Big D.

The problem ... cops say he got wasted -- and caused such a big scene with employees and patrons inside a local bar -- he was booted off the premises.

But, cops say JT later returned around 2 AM ... and drunkenly got into it AGAIN with bar employees -- and this time, cops say they decided to arrest him.

We're told JT was processed for public intoxication, a Misdemeanor C violation.

One of the crazier parts of the story?? The Wild kept Brown out of its game Saturday night but said it was because he was battling an illness.

For his part, Brown released a statement, saying, “I would like to apologize to the Minnesota Wild, my teammates, family, and fans for the poor decision I made."

"I went out the night before our last game in Dallas, put myself in a bad situation, and take full responsibility for my actions. I have learned from my mistake and will make sure it does not happen again."

10:47 AM PT -- The U.S. Attorney's office tells TMZ Mack is facing up to 40 years, 20 for each count.

Former "Smallville" star Allison Mack just entered a guilty plea to racketeering charges in her sex cult case ... and all signs point to her cutting a deal with prosecutors.

Mack, who starred as Chloe Sullivan on "Smallville," appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom Monday and pled guilty to 2 counts ... racketeering conspiracy and racketeering. Prosecutors say she was the pimp for the sex cult.

In court she sobbed and said, "I must take full responsibility for my conduct. I am very sorry for my role in this case. I am very sorry to my family and to the good people I hurt through my misguided adherence to [NXIVM leader] Keith Raniere’s teachings.”

It's unclear what the terms of Mack's deal are -- she had initially pled not guilty when she was indicted on sex trafficking charges for her role in running the sex cult led by Raniere. Prosecutors say she recruited and directed women, including other actresses, to have sex with Raniere, who was also busted.

You'll recall ... Mack was on the scene last March in Mexico when cops took Raniere into custody in Puerta Vallarta, where he was hiding out.

Mack was later arrested and extradited to the U.S., where she was outfitted with a GPS ankle monitor as a term of her bail.

Tekashi69 thinks he will see blue sky again -- outside of prison walls -- before the end of this year, but he's gonna need the very same people he snitched on to help him out.

Tekashi and his former manager, Shotti, have already pled guilty in their federal racketeering cases. However, there are still several other defendants tied to the case who are scheduled to go to trial this September.

The hope for Tekashi and his attorneys is that all of the others also take deals -- given the overwhelming evidence against them -- so there would be no need for a trial at all.

Here's why that could be huge. Tekashi's attorney, Dawn Florio, tells us if the other men strike plea deals and the trial is called off ... they'll ask a judge to grant 6ix9ine time served -- he's been locked up since November. If the judge grants it, he'd walk free because he's fulfilled his obligations under his cooperation agreement with authorities.

It's a long shot, but it's probably the only chance he's got.

So far, only one of the other defendants has filed a motion to dismiss the charges -- making it seem like he's willing to drag the whole thing out until trial -- but Florio is hopeful a plea deal could happen at any time.

Conor McGregor has one less legal issue ... the man suing him in the Miami phone smashing incident has dropped his lawsuit against the UFC star and all signs point to settlement.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ahmed Abdirzak sued Conor for battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress over the March 11 incident at the Fontainebleau hotel.

Abdirzak claims Conor "flew into a rage and punched [Abdirzak's] smart phone out of his hand" before "stomping on the phone repeatedly." Abdirzak was demanding north of $15,000.

Part of the incident was captured on video and posted by TMZ Sports.

Now, court records show Abdirzak has filed new documents to dismiss his suit against McGregor with prejudice -- which likely means the two reached a settlement agreement.

It's smart money for Conor considering he's worth a fortune and could easily cut a check to put the matter behind him.

McGregor is still facing criminal charges for the incident -- including felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. If convicted on all counts, Conor faces up to 6 years in prison.

His case is due back in front of the judge later this week.

McGregor doesn't seem too bothered by the situation -- he's been partying all over the world, feuding with his UFC rivals and watching WrestleMania.

Before he filed his lawsuit, Abdirzak appeared on "TMZ Live" in March and told us he hadn't decided if he was going to sue, insisting he just wants "justice."

Nipsey Hussle's killer became further enraged when his first shots didn't finish off the rapper ... and Nipsey talked back to him.

Sources at the scene of Nipsey's murder tell us ... after Eric Holder allegedly shot Nipsey twice and the rapper fell to the ground, Nipsey raised his head and said something to the effect of, "You shot me, you got me, I'm good."

We're told Holder -- who had already started to walk away -- turned around and walked back in Nipsey's direction when he realized the rapper was still alive. That's when Holder fired additional shots at Nipsey ... those bullets, eyewitnesses believe, that killed him.

In the surveillance video, you clearly see Nipsey -- who was wearing a white bandana -- raise his head after the initial shots were fired. You can also see Holder approach Nipsey while he lay on the ground, fire more shots, back off, fire again and kick him before running into an alley.

Holder was arrested in Los Angeles Tuesday and has since been charged with 1 count of murder, 2 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of possession of a firearm by a felon. His bond is $5 million. An unidentified female who drove Holder away from the crime scene was questioned and released.

As for Nipsey's funeral ... our sources say it will be taking place on Thursday at the Staples Center -- in order to accommodate everyone who wants to attend. Those close to the rapper were scoping out some of L.A.'s biggest venues.

Jussie Smollett is trying to return to normalcy as best he can after a whirlwind saga in Chicago ... and that includes mundane tasks like taking trips to the post office.

We got photos of Jussie hitting up a post office in Van Nuys this week ... and you can see just how average his life is becoming.

Folks who were there tell us Jussie was determined to keep a low profile ... he had a woman stand in the passport line for him for over an hour, saving his spot before it was his turn at the counter. Then it was time to sit down with a postal employee.

It's interesting ... when he was arrested February 21 and charged with 16 felonies, he was required to surrender his passport.

It's one of the first times we've seen Jussie in public since the embattled "Empire" actor landed at LAX ahead of the NAACP Awards, where he was the butt of a ton of Chris Rock jokes even though he didn't show. He popped up in the San Fernando Valley this week too, but was quiet as a mouse.

Even though Jussie is trying to get back to normal, he's about to get sued by the city of Chicago for the cost of investigating the "attack."

NBA YoungBoy has officially been charged in his weed case ... and it could have a serious impact on a separate and ongoing criminal case.

The rapper was charged with 2 misdemeanors -- possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and disorderly conduct -- stemming from a case back in February in Atlanta ... this according to court records obtained by TMZ.

As we first reported ... YB was busted along with a female companion, Starr Thigpen, after he allegedly ordered her to get housekeeping out of a room that was supposed to be unoccupied. Starr allegedly struck one of the maids in the face before cops arrived and arrested both of them.

Here's where things could get tricky for YB ... as we first reported, the rapper was indicted in Waycross, GA back in March 2018 for allegedly beating the hell outta his then-GF. One of the charges he faced was felony kidnapping.

We've reached out to the Waycross D.A.'s office to see if the new misdemeanor charges will impact the 2018 case, for which YB's currently out on bond. We do know this much ... YoungBoy has a status conference in front of the judge in the kidnapping case next week.

Stay tuned ...

Mally Mall and Swae Lee can always visit the L.A. Zoo if they want to see jungle cats and monkeys ... because there's little to no chance they're getting their exotic pets back.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... after Mally's Serval cat and Swae's spider monkey were seized in Wednesday's SWAT raids, the animals were immediately taken to special facilities. We're told Mally and Swae will ONLY get the animals back if they had legal reasons to possess them -- such as owning a zoo or an animal educational facility -- and that's just not the case here.

Even if Mally and Swae had a legit reason for housing the Serval cat and spider monkey, we're told they would still need to apply for permits to get the animals back, but those applications would be blocked because of their history.

Mally's had tons of issues with exotic animals in the past ... the Health Dept. launched an investigation when he brought a capuchin monkey to the Ace of Diamonds strip club, and he once gifted Justin Bieber a monkey and an ocelot.

We broke the story ... 40 SWAT team members, armed to the teeth, raided Mally's home Wednesday morning, executing search warrants for exotic animal possession and human trafficking. Swae's home was also raided.

As it stands, we're told the Serval cat and spider monkey seized in the raids are being housed in facilities that are permitted to possess each type of animal, with the capability of providing proper care and adequate caging.

Maybe just a house cat next time?!?

Ice Cube agrees ... there's absolutely no reason to delay immortalizing Nipsey Hussle on the streets of his hometown, and he also has a message for people feeling the loss.

We got Cube Friday at LAX and asked him about a Change.org petition calling on city officials to rename the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd. and Slauson Ave. as "Nipsey Hussle Way." The petition has spread like wildfire ... and already has more than 420,000 signatures.

Check out the clip ... Cube's on board with anything that keeps Nipsey's legacy alive.

However, he also hinted at something that's been a concern in L.A. since Nipsey's murder: the fear of retaliation and more violence. Even as he offered positive thoughts, Cube's parting words seemed to refer to that simmering threat.

Even police are worried Nipsey's accused killer, Eric Holder, could be offed in jail -- and, as a result, he's being held in solitary confinement.

Rams head coach Sean McVay's L.A. home was burglarized Thursday night by men who broke in and made off with a bunch of valuables ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

We're told 3 men wearing hoodies, bandanas and gloves smashed through the back door of the home ... before stealing $20k worth of jewelry and expensive purses.

No one was home ... and McVay's security system went off -- alerting police to the break-in -- but when they arrived, the thieves were gone.

In addition to what was stolen, we're told there was damage done to the house ... which is still being assessed.

McVay lives with his longtime girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn.

Our law enforcement sources tell us cops are trying to identify the men using surveillance from McVay's home ... as well as from his neighbors' cameras.

McVay isn't the first L.A. Ram to get burglarized ... receiver Robert Woods had his home broken into last year during a Thursday Night Football game.

9:05 AM PT -- Rini initially refused to provide fingerprints when he talked to investigators who met him at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, but authorities say he absolutely claimed to be 14-year-old Timmothy Pitzen. However, he agreed to the DNA testing.

When officers confronted him with the results, which proved he's NOT Timmothy, he immediately copped to being a phony. According to the U.S. Attorney, Rini said he'd seen Timmothy's story on an episode of "20/20" ... and cooked up the idea to impersonate him in order to get away from his own family.

He said, "He wished he had a father like Timmothy's because if he went missing, his father would just keep drinking."

And there's this ... the FBI says Rini's done this kind of thing twice before -- pretending to be a victim of juvenile sex trafficking. He was exposed both times through fingerprints.

The U.S. Attorney says if Rini's convicted this time he faces up to 8 years in prison.

8:51 AM PT -- Authorities have just announced that Rini has been charged by the FBI for making false statements to a federal agent.

The FBI released a statement, saying, "False reports like this can be painful to the families of missing children and also divert law enforcement resources in order to investigate these untruthful claims."

They continue, "Law enforcement takes dishonest reports very seriously, and we caution that people making false claims can and will face criminal penalties."

8:21 AM PT -- Federal and local law enforcement will be providing an update of the situation at 8:30 AM PT. We will be live streaming.

7:05 AM PT -- It appears the relevant law for which Rini's being held prohibits people from engaging in a "trick or scheme" to falsify, conceal or cover up a lie.

7:00 AM PT -- It appears Rini's accused of making false statements to law enforcement. Since the FBI conducted the DNA testing ... he most likely lied to FBI agents, and that's why the feds will be taking him into custody.

The guy cops say posed as missing child Timmothy Pitzen is now getting all the attention he wants ... in jail.

Brian Michael Rini was busted in Hamilton County, Ohio late Thursday night, and his mug shot raises a lot of questions. The 23-year-old who posed as Timmothy -- who would now be 14 years old -- is rocking a 5:00 shadow!

The case just gets more and more bizarre.

ICYMI ... someone called 911 on Wednesday to say Rini was wandering around and claiming to be Timmothy, who went missing 7 years ago -- a case that drew national attention, and was even recently featured on the A&E show, "Live PD." Local cops and the FBI responded and picked up Rini ... but immediately did DNA testing to confirm if he was really Timmothy.

On Thursday, the test came back negative, and law enforcement knew they had an impostor. It's still unclear what Rini's motive was and what he's being charged with for pretending to be Timmothy -- but we know the U.S. Attorney's Office is on the case. So, he's going to be charged federally.

He was detained Thursday night in Ohio, and the feds have scheduled a news conference for 8:30 AM PT ... which TMZ will live stream in this post.

Rini, as it turns out, has a lengthy rap sheet. He just got out of jail a month ago after doing 18 months for vandalism and burglary. He's also been convicted of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Jussie Smollett's lawyer says the actor will not be intimidated by the City of Chicago's latest move -- to recover $130k in investigative costs -- hinting he might sue the City for defamation.

Jussie's lawyer, Mark Geragos, fired off an angry letter to the city, saying Jussie "will not be intimated," calling the claim his client faked the "attack" "false and defamatory."

As we reported, the City is preparing a civil lawsuit to recover the $130k it spent in investigating Jussie's claim that he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack. The lawsuit is significant, because it effectively puts Jussie on trial and the standard of proof is much lower than a criminal case.

Geragos says the attack was real, and points to the Osundairo brothers as the culprits.

And, Geragos is quick to point out, the State's Attorney dropped all 16 felony charges against his client.

He then threatens that he will grill Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson like cheeseburgers in depositions if the City goes through with the lawsuit. Both men were extremely critical of State's Attorney Kim Foxx for dropping the charges, saying Jussie did indeed fake the attack.

Jussie Smollett is about to get sued by the City of Chicago and, in the process, he could effectively go on trial for allegedly faking the "attack."

As we reported, the City of Chicago fired off a letter to Jussie's people, demanding $130,000 for the cost of investigating the case. Jussie's people told the City to go pound sand.

The City had to wait 7 days before filing a civil lawsuit against the actor. Well the 7 days has now passed, and the City has made its intentions clear -- they are going forward with the lawsuit.

A spokesman for the City says, "Mr. Smollett has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on January 29, 2019. The Law Department is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Once it is filed, the Law Department will send a courtesy copy of the complaint to Mr. Smollett's L.A. based legal team."

The stakes are high for Jussie ... the City can ask for 3 times the actual cost of investigation ... $390,000.

In addition, in order to win, the City must prove that it's more likely than not that Jussie faked the "attack." This, in effect, puts Jussie on trial before an administrative law judge.

2:53 PM PT -- Holder just pled not guilty and his bond was set at $5 million ... he will be back in court May 10. Holder's attorney is Chris Darden ... who was famously part of the prosecution team in O.J. Simpson's double murder trial.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder, is now officially charged with murder, and he's about to appear in court for the first time since his arrest.

The L.A. County D.A. charged him with 1 count of murder, 2 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Holder faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

The attempted murder charges are for the alleged shootings of Kerry Lathan and Shermi Cervabta Villanueva. We broke the story ... the only reason Nipsey was at his Marathon Clothing store Sunday morning was to help his friend Kerry -- who recently got out of jail -- get some new clothes. Shermi is Kerry's nephew and had driven him to meet with Nipsey.

Holder is being held in solitary confinement, as cops fear he'll be offed in jail because they believe he's a target. As we reported ... LAPD picked up Holder from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department station in Lakewood after his Tuesday arrest, and transferred him to a police station in South L.A.

It's doubtful he sees the light of day anytime soon, his bail's already been set at a whopping $7,040,000.

Cops say they believe Holder -- who goes by the street name, Shitty Cuz -- is the person seen in surveillance video shooting Nipsey and his friends multiple times. The Crenshaw rapper died Sunday afternoon from gunshots to his head and torso.