Crime & Arrests

A$AP Rocky was downright gleeful after touching down on U.S. soil Saturday just after midnight ... free for the first time in a month.

A$AP's private jet touched down at LAX after a long flight from Sweden ... this after the judges in his criminal case allowed him to leave the country as they noodled over the verdict.

The rapper was ecstatic ... smiling, taking pics with folks, hugging people. He actually stayed in the private terminal parking lot for around 45 minutes, talking and joking most of the time.

As we reported, all signs point to a not guilty verdict. Prosecutors in the assault case asked the judges to keep Rocky behind bars because he remained a flight risk. The judges had a middle-ground option -- to release him from custody but order that he remain in Sweden, pending the verdict which will be announced on August 14, but instead they let him return to the U.S.

Fact is ... a judge thought he was a flight risk a month ago when he threw Rocky in jail, even before charges were filed, so he'd be at least as much of a flight risk today ... and that's why it seems like it doesn't matter anymore and that he'll be found not guilty.

Our Rocky sources say he's never going back to Sweden, and even though his position has been that race was not a factor, privately everyone in his camp thinks it was, and he probably does as well. It was smart of him not to take a stand on the racial issue, for fear of inflaming the judges.

The key to the case seems to be a green bottle. Prosecutors maintained Rocky hit the alleged victim over the head with it, but not a single witness supported the theory, nor did the video. You do see Rocky holding a bottle, but he says he did it to fend off the guy and put it down on the ground.

Rocky does not have to appear in court for the verdict. It will be a written decision.

LL Cool J has a lot of sympathy for A$AP Rocky, but says if he's convicted in Swedish court of assault, he can't go on the lam.

LL was at LAX Friday and made one point clear ... if he were in A$AP's shoes and got a guilty verdict, he would not just go back to Sweden and face the music ... rather, he'd "negotiate." We're reading between the lines, but it seems he's saying he'd do a little horse trading ... I'll come back, but you can't throw the book at me.

As for never going back, LL thinks that's a bad idea. Even if Rocky couldn't be extradited from the U.S., his travel would be severely restricted because other countries might in fact hook him up and send him back to Sweden.

As we reported, it's looking likely that A$AP will be found not guilty, because prosecutors failed to prove A$AP struck the alleged victim with a bottle.

A$AP Rocky's saying good riddance to Sweden FOR GOOD and never looking back ... assuming everything goes according to plan.

Rocky left Sweden hours after the judges in his assault case decided to let him out of jail while they noodle on their decision, which is expected on August 14. A$AP returned to the U.S., and he won't have to return for the reading of the verdict, because it will be a written ruling.

All signs point to Rocky being acquitted. Prosecutors tried to keep him in jail pending the verdict, because they said he was a flight risk. The judges could have ordered him to stay in Sweden but they gave him the all clear to leave the country. That smells like a not guilty verdict.

Our sources say if the verdict comes in as expected, Rocky will never go back to the home of IKEA.

He never said the arrest was racially motivated -- at least not for public consumption -- but a lot of people, including his mom, think that's exactly what's behind his arrest and prosecution. As we reported, Snoop and Quavo say they had similar experiences with Swedish cops, and Snoop also said good riddance to the country.

The rapper said during his testimony he won't seek any money from the Swedish government for wrongful prosecution, because he can easily earn back his profits from canceled concerts. Smart move ... more incentive for the judges to find him not guilty.

Rocky's lawyer says he believes he did enough to show the judges his client acted in self-defense and the attack on the alleged victim was not overboard or premeditated ... as the prosecution alleged.

NY Yankees stud Cameron Maybin will make his return from the injured list without his DUI case looming over his head ... TMZ Sports has learned the OF just cut a deal to close the case.

Maybin was arrested back on March 1 in Scottsdale during spring training with the SF Giants after cops pulled him over for drunk driving at around 2:25 AM.

Maybin bombed field sobriety tests ... ultimately blowing a .127.

In police footage of the arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see Cameron crying and apologizing for the incident.

Maybin -- who was cut by the Giants shortly after the arrest -- was eventually hit with several charges, including DUI, speeding and unsafe lane change.

He faced up to a year behind bars if he was convicted.

But, court records show Maybin cut a deal with prosecutors this month ... and in exchange for a guilty plea on one of his DUI counts -- officials dismissed the rest of the charges against the MLB player.

Unclear what Maybin's punishment will be for the guilty plea ... we're working on it.

It's good news for Maybin -- he's been a stud since landing with the Yankees back in April, and he's expected to be a key contributor for the team when he returns from the injured list soon.

As for the injury, the 32-year-old is still out with a left calf strain. Yanks manager Aaron Boone told reporters Monday that Maybin could return to the lineup as early as next week.

Young Dro's GF says he wasn't just arrested for hurling banana pudding at her ... she says he violently struck her.

Young Dro's GF told cops the violence erupted in the bedroom, when he punched her so hard it left a bruise. She says a while later she was eating dessert on the sofa when Young Dro smashed the plate of banana pudding in her face. Then she says he grabbed a kitchen knife and went to town on the living room furniture.

As we reported ... when cops showed up, they arrested Young Dro, despite the fact his GF did not want to press charges, presumably because they saw she was injured.

For his part, Young Dro told cops he didn't strike her during their altercation ... and claimed the bruise was actually a birthmark.

Dro's girlfriend told police he has a drug problem and needs help. She said he takes pills -- Xanax, Ecstasy, Albuterol, Molly, Percocet -- and lashes out when he comes down from his high.

Young Dro is charged with misdemeanor battery/family violence.

It appears any hope Azriel Clary's family had about their daughter coming back to them have been dashed ... because TMZ's learned Azriel's planning to fly to NYC for moral support in R. Kelly's sexual exploitation case.

Kelly's attorneys, Douglas Anton and Steve Greenberg, tell TMZ ... Azriel is expected to be joined by Joycelyn Savage, both of whom plan to attend Kelly's arraignment next Friday. Azriel and Joycelyn want to make it clear ... this is a united front to support Kelly.

Anton tells us the women are going into "protective mode" because they view Kelly as a loved one in crisis. Anton says Azriel and Joycelyn -- who have supported Kelly at previous court appearances -- plan to arrive Thursday and stay in Brooklyn where Kelly will be held by U.S. Marshals.

As you know ... feds in New York slapped Kelly with a 5-count indictment ... which includes racketeering and kidnapping. He's also fighting a 13-count indictment in Illinois federal court.

BTW ... we're told the women want to visit Kelly, although it's unclear if that's even possible.

Azriel's family had a ray of hope Kelly was losing his grip over her. The family saw Azriel becoming more active on social media, which to them was a sign she was breaking free. Not so, it appears.

Chloe Grace Moretz is now fully protected -- at least legally -- from a man who keeps getting busted by cops for hopping her fence.

Chloe and fam just scored a permanent restraining order, which is supposed to keep the guy away from them for 3 years. The restraining order protects Chloe, her 2 brothers, her sister and her mom. The guy can have no contact -- direct or indirect -- with any of them.

The restraining order replaces the temporary restraining order a judge issued at the beginning of the month.

The guy was arrested outside the actress' Los Angeles home TWICE ... after the guy climbed over their private gate and started banging on windows and doors, trying to gain access to the residence. He got arrested, showed up the very next day, and got busted again.

Amber Portwood's making her priorities clear ... as she waltzed into an Indiana courthouse to learn if she would lose access to her one-year-old child in her domestic battery case, an MTV camera crew was there lapping it all up.

Amber was back in Marion County Court on Thursday ... with fellow "Teen Mom OG" cast members Catelynn, Maci and Cheyenne anxiously waiting outside the courtroom, and an MTV camera crew was capturing everything.

There was good news for Amber on the legal front ... her no-contact order was lifted, allowing Amber to have supervised visits with her 1-year-old son, James, following her domestic battery arrest. At least from the outside, it seemed like she was more concerned about camera time, though.

Also joining the "Teen Mom OG" stars in support of Amber -- Kristina, the new wife of Amber's ex, Gary. Looks like Kristina got chatty with the reality stars.

TMZ broke the story ... Amber was arrested for domestic battery on July 5 after her boyfriend, Andrew Glennon, contacted cops and claimed she hit him with a shoe while he was holding their child. She also allegedly wielded a machete during the incident.

As we reported ... Amber will almost certainly lose her 'Teen Mom' gig if she's convicted of going after her BF with a machete, because she's already on thin ice with MTV.

WWE superstar Jimmy Uso was arrested for driving under the influence near Pensacola, Florida early Thursday morning ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear but here's what we know so far -- the 33-year-old was booked at 3:04 AM and the charge on the police website says DUI -- driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level.

Unclear what cops say Uso's BAC was at the time of the arrest -- we're working on it.

Cops say Uso -- real name Jonathan Fatu -- is still behind bars. His bond was set at $1,000.

WWE has been in Florida this week -- 'Raw' was in Tampa on Monday, 'Smackdown' was in Miami on Tuesday.

Uso has a history with the law ... back in February, Jimmy was arrested after allegedly getting into a drunken dispute with cops in Detroit. They claim Jimmy "squared up" as if he was going to fight the police. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction.

In fact, just on Monday, John Cena clowned Uso's mug shot from his February arrest during 'Raw' ... and Uso was smiling about it.

Uso is WWE royalty -- he's the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and he's married to WWE superstar Naomi. He's also one half of the famous Uso Brothers tag team with his brother, Jey Uso.

The Uso Brothers are 6-time WWE tag team champs.

Jeffrey Epstein was found injured and semi-conscious in his jail cell, and officials are investigating the incident as a possible suicide attempt ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources say Epstein -- who is currently locked up in a Manhattan federal jail for sex trafficking -- was found by guards in his cell Wednesday night with marks around his neck. We're told the circumstances leading up to his injuries are currently unclear, but one possibility is Epstein tried to kill himself.

We're told Epstein is expected to survive.

NBC New York -- who first reported the story -- says one law enforcement source tells them it's possible he may have been attacked by another inmate. The report also says another source claims Epstein may have self-inflicted the wounds around his neck in order to get a jail transfer.

Epstein was denied bail on July 18 and is currently awaiting trial ... no trial date has been set.

The registered sex offender is accused of exploiting a multitude of underage girls in the early 2000s. Most recently, investigators found through a search warrant a fake passport and a massive stash of cash at one of Epstein's properties.

Wale says what's happening to A$AP Rocky is an injustice ... and he's defending the rapper from those who think it's actually a dose of karma.

We got Wale leaving Bootsy Bellows in WeHo late Tuesday night, and he spoke his mind on Rocky's situation in Sweden. He says it's totally unfair, and everyone the Swedish government is screwing over in the process deserves some payback ... especially A$AP.

Wale also goes out of his way to praise A$AP's character, which some have called into question since the rapper was arrested for assault early this month. He says he has a good heart and is a caring person ... and he's important to their culture.

If you don't know ... some fans are still pissed at Rocky for distancing himself from the Black Lives Matter movement and the Ferguson protests in an interview a few years back, along with claiming Bill Cosby's innocent.

But, Wale says he knows A$AP is one of the good ones -- despite not choosing his words carefully sometimes and speaking on impulse -- and he wants him back in the U.S.

R. Kelly's crisis manager says he was NOT canned for going on national TV and saying he would never leave his daughter alone with an accused pedophile ... he says he left his post to deal with a family emergency.

Darrell Johnson tells TMZ ... he's stepping away from R. Kelly's defense team so he can spend time with a family member he claims is on their deathbed. Darrell is adamant he was NOT fired, and he's leaving the door open on a potential return as Kelly's crisis manager.

Darrell's removal from Kelly's defense raised eyebrows, because it came on the heels of him telling CBS' Gayle King he would not leave his 21-year-old daughter alone with someone who was convicted or accused of pedophilia.

As you know ... R. Kelly is back in jail and being held without bond after being arrested on 2 federal indictments alleging he made sex tapes with underage girls.

Darrell is walking back his pedophile comments ... he tells us his answers were taken out of context and he says he would have no problem leaving his daughter alone with Kelly.

Wendy Williams says rappers should absolutely follow the money if it leads them to Sweden ... she says there's no point in turning down shows in the country because of A$AP Rocky.

We got Wendy out in New York City Tuesday and she told us she's totally against the proposed rap industry boycott of Sweden ... because it's money over everything.

The beloved talk show host says rappers have to do what's best for them, and if that means booking shows in Sweden, so be it ... after all, she says they've got to pay their bills by any means necessary.

Wendy's stance on the potential boycott is opposite Slim Jxmmi's position ... the Rae Sremmurd rapper said Monday there's no reason for artists to perform in Sweden as long as A$AP is rotting in a Swedish jail.

Wendy wants A$AP freed, and she feels like he was baited into the street brawl that landed him behind bars ... but she doesn't see the sense in others hurting their bottom lines as a show of support.

Anderson .Paak feels bad for A$AP Rocky, not just because he thinks the rapper's getting royally screwed by Sweden ... but because he's losing something priceless -- time.

We got the "Bubblin" rapper out in NYC Tuesday, and he's among the choir in the U.S. who are outraged that A$AP's still sitting in a jail overseas ... awaiting charges for his role in a fight that -- according to video -- he didn't seem to start.

Anderson says he got angry just watching the video of the guy harassing and allegedly attacking Rocky's crew ... so he can't imagine what it must have been like dealing with it.

A$AP's still dealing with it too -- 3 weeks later -- and .Paak says that's the true outrage of it all. We broke the story ... Sweden might be on the hook to pay Rocky back millions if he's found not guilty, but Anderson tells us that's beside the point.

According to him ... the travesty is A$AP's missing out on valuable time with family and friends and losing experiences he'll never get back.

It's getting worse for Dwight Gooden ... the MLB legend was arrested for DUI in New Jersey on Monday night after cops say he was driving the wrong way down a 1-way street.

The 54-year-old former Mets pitcher was pulled over around 11:10 PM in Newark, according to the NY Post ... which reports Gooden was a "mess" during the stop.

Gooden was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment -- though it's unclear how he's doing now.

The arrest comes just weeks after Doc was busted for cocaine possession in Jersey. As we previously reported, cops say they found two baggies of coke during a traffic stop on June 7.

At the time, Doc's attorney told us the former baseball star was taking the matter seriously.

Gooden was charged with 3rd-degree possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence in that case.

Monday's arrest is the latest in a sad string of drug and alcohol related incidents for Gooden ... he tested positive for coke back in 1987, months after he won the World Series with the Mets.

Then, in 1995 ... MLB suspended Gooden for the entire season for failing another drug test.

In 2006, Gooden did an 8-month stint in jail after showing up to a probation hearing high on cocaine.

In 2010, Gooden crashed his car in Jersey while under the influence of drugs -- he was driving his 5-year-old son to school at the time of the crash.